The Substitute
by Mrsbonnieful
Summary: A senior, majoring in education at the University of Vienna is persuaded to fill in for a friend who is a governess to seven children.
1. The Beginning

The Beginning

The city of Vienna sits in the northeast corner of Austria where two mountain ranges of the Alps form a basin which is home to both a large forested area and the most famous river in the world, the Danube.

The beautiful blue Danube River flows past a knoll of rolling hills where the river is so bright and blue it almost blends with the blue of the sky. Many people come to these hills to take in the scene as did a young university student.

The young woman was prepared for the summer sun with her wide-brimmed straw hat. She also carried her faithful companion, a guitar. She hurried across the foot bridge and climbed to the top of one of the larger hills.

From here she could see across the river towards a town where the sun reflected off of a large structure which the young woman knew to be a castle which had once been the home of an empress of Austria.

The young woman had been here before; she went directly to a large rock whose top had been worn smooth by the elements; it made a perfect seat. It was perfect for sitting and singing.

The young woman removed her guitar from its case. She carefully plucked the strings to be sure it was tuned correctly. Once she was satisfied, she began to warm up her voice with a simple scale. Her voice drew some animals from their hiding places, a couple of field mice and two chipmunks stood still to listen. They were joined by a songbird which seemed to whistle along with her scale.

The old empress's castle was now home to large family. A governess caring for several children who lived there had decided to enjoy the beautiful day. They headed for the same destination.

As the group climbed the hill, the children's governess heard the strains of the song which the young woman was singing. As they came closer, the governess recognized the young woman and immediately called to her.

"Maria, Maria, it's me, Helena."

The young woman stopped and looked in her direction. She heard. "I didn't know you sang so well. You sound like a trained singer."

Immediately, the young woman responded. "Hello Helena, thank you. What brings you to the hills?"

"I decided the children needed some fresh air after almost a week of rainy afternoons. Children, don't be shy; tell Maria hello."

Maria heard seven children say "hello, Fräulein Maria," almost in unison. Standing before her were seven children in a formal line from oldest to youngest like descending pipes of an organ. All except the oldest girl had similar haircuts. Their dark brown hair was short; it was parted down the middle with bangs covering their foreheads. The oldest girl's hair was shoulder-length and was held away from her face by a bow; her bangs were curly and fluffy. The youngest boy's hair looked wind-blown. The oldest boy's was neat and tidy; he looked like a young man.

"Good day to you too. You look so nice in your sailor suits. And I've never seen five sisters who look so much alike; you boys must look like your father."

The older boy responded. "We're told that a lot, Fräulein. Do you come here often?"

"Not during the school year, today was my first opportunity."

A soft spoken little girl asked a question. "What was that song you were singing? It was really pretty."

"I like it too. These hills are like a sacred summit; they almost help give meaning to your life. I feel God's power and wisdom when I come here. Often singing is mentioned in the same breath as prayer. That song was my prayer to help me look for my life.

"Your Fräulein and I attend the same Bible class. We recently read a verse from scripture where it tells us God had known us since before we were born. And that he has prepared our path in life. Did you know that?"

Maria saw seven children shake their heads. "It's 's one of my favorite songs. Do you sing?"

The oldest girl spoke. "Not anymore, Fräulein, our papa doesn't allow it. Our singing reminds him of all the fun times we had when mama was alive."

"She's right, Maria. I feel sorry for my employer. You see, first the Austria's navy was dissolved by the treaty which ended the Great War and then he lost his wife to the ravages of Scarlet Fever. He's never been able to overcome his grief."

"That is so sad. I suppose all this talk from Germany's new leader doesn't help either."

"It probably doesn't. He's a very loyal Austrian."

"All we can do is pray, Helena."

"You're right, Maria, we better get home."

"Yes, me too."

They walked off the hill together; all the way to a fork in the road where they separated. Maria really felt sad for the children, not only because they couldn't sing anymore but the way they walked. Their straight line was impeccable. It was almost like they really were sailors. She would pray for both the children and their father.

In two weeks the Bible class resumed. Helena spoke to Maria when the class was over. "I need your help, Maria. I received word that my brother has taken ill while working in Munich. He's going to need surgery on his kidneys. I need to go to him. I must find someone to take care of the children through the summer. I'm hoping you can take my place."

"Helena, I've never been a governess."

"Maria, I'm sure you would do fine. The children aren't difficult to care for; you're almost finished with your university classes to become a certified teacher. They already know you, please Maria."

"Do you think their father would approve? I'm only a few years older than his oldest daughter."

"I'm sure he would. He knows I want to be with my brother."

"Okay, where is their house?"

"It's the old castle, Maria. I'll meet you there at ten tomorrow morning."

"How interesting, they live in the old castle. I'll be there Helena. You can make your travel plans."

"Thank you, you're a dear."

The two women left the home where the class was held. They walked towards the university, where they parted.


	2. Maria the Governess

Maria the Governess

It was twilight when Maria and Helena departed. Maria only had a short walk back to her dormitory. She was anxious to share her news with her roommate, Annie. Maria hurried inside and up the flight of stairs to her room.

Annie had arrived only minutes before; she too, had news to share. They both started talking at the same time. They broke out in laughter. Maria conceded to her friend.

"Maria, I got the job at the club. I'm going to be an official at tennis matches for the summer."

"That's wonderful, Annie. You're never going to believe this. My friend Helena has a brother in Munich who needs surgery and she wants to be with him. She's asked me to take her place as a governess to seven children."

"Seven? Maria!"

"You heard correctly. There's more. They live in the old empress's castle."

"Oh my, that's incredible. I didn't know anyone lived there."

"I didn't either. I need to meet Helena there at ten tomorrow morning."

"We better try and get some sleep. I have a feeling we will both wake up early."

"Yes, you're right."

The two young women changed into their nightgowns and after a trip to the communal bathroom they settled in their beds. For a few minutes each could hear the other toss and turn. Their beds were very old; the bed springs creaked, cracked and groaned. Eventually each found a comfortable spot and fell asleep.

In the morning, they both woke at about the same time. While they dressed, each commented on their new adventures.

"I can't imagine living in the old castle; me a poor girl from a farm."

"I still can't believe you will be a governess to seven children."

"They are most definitely well-mannered. I hope they don't always walk in a perfectly straight line or always wear their sailor suits."

"Knowing your personality like I do, I'm sure you will subtly change all that."

"I hope so, Annie. I see they gave you a uniform to wear."

"Yes, it's a comfortable dress. I'm glad for the long sleeves to protect me from the sun. I also have this large straw hat to wear. I just hope I can concentrate on watching the ball to be sure it doesn't hit the side line."

"I'm sure you will do just fine. I hope my peasant dress is appropriate for a governess to wear."

"I'm sure it is. I don't think there is a specific dress code for a governess. We better do our chores and get to the dining hall for breakfast."

They had more than enough time to accomplish both. They returned to their dorm room to use the bathroom. They stood together on the sidewalk outside the dormitory building.

"Well, Annie, we're both off for a new experience. Are you nervous?"

"Not really. Are you?"

"Maybe a little; you see, the children's mother died a couple of years ago and their father lost his livelihood after the Great War ended because Austria was forced to give up its Navy. He's still terribly sad. He doesn't let the children play games or sing."

"I have no doubt you will eventually be able to help him see the value in play and singing."

"I hope so. I better get going. I don't want to be late."

"Me neither, I'm not sure when the last match ends. I know I'll be back in time for dinner. We'll share our stories then."

"Yes, I'll wait for you."

They went their separate ways. Maria had more than enough time; she walked at a leisurely pace. Soon the castle was in view. Maria had seen it before but as she walked closer she was overwhelmed by the enormity of the structure. She gasped as she stared at it. The bell from the near-by Abbey brought her to reality; it had announced ten o'clock. And then she saw Helena come out the front door. She hurried into the courtyard to meet Maria.

"Now, don't be nervous, Maria. The Captain may still be sad but he's very nice. I already told him about you."

"That's reassuring." Maria said with confidence, although the enormity of the palace had made her nervous.

The two women entered the dwelling through an elaborately engraved front door. It opened into a huge open space. An oversized chandelier hung from a rich painting on the ceiling. The room was an oval surrounded by halves of columns decorating the walls; each with several small decorative lights. The room glittered with white marble and gold.

Maria was stunned as she turned around several times to take it all in. "Is the whole house decorated like this?"

"Most of it is; the second floor isn't as elaborate. The children's floor is the least. The captain's study is in the wing to our right. Follow me Maria."

They found the door was open. The captain was expecting them. He sensed their presence and looked up. He stood.

"Captain, this is Maria."

Maria had been introduced to an impeccably dressed gentleman with a definite military bearing. He stood exactly as his two sons had the day Maria met the children. But then he extended his hand which she took and received a warm and gracious handshake.

And the captain tried not to stare. He noticed Maria's appearance. He hadn't seen many Austrians who still wore the authentic clothes of their ancestors. Maria was wearing a blue and black corset-style dirndl dress with silver grommets over an eyelet puffy-sleeved blouse with a lace-trimmed neckline with a complementary blue apron. Some of her light brown hair was pulled away from her face to form a bun; she also had braids which formed a headband.

"Captain von Trapp, Fräulein, I'm pleased to meet you. It's so nice of you to take Helena's place. I know she wants to go to her brother as soon as possible. I understand you met my children already."

"Yes sir, two weeks ago we were all up in the hills enjoying the beautiful day."

"Helena also told me you've almost finished your classes for your degree in teaching. That's good. I don't like my children to dream away their summer vacation. They need to keep sharp. And Fräulein, they must do their reading,"

"I can see to both of those, sir; I like to read as well."

"Very well, I'll look for you in the morning. Helena is leaving this afternoon."

They two ladies departed the study. "See, I told you he is very nice despite his requirements."

"He's right about children falling behind during the summer. A teacher sometimes spends two or three weeks reviewing when the new school year begins. The same goes for reading skills, especially for the younger children."

"Don't worry about Brigitta; she's the nine year old. She reads way above her grade level. That started when she was confined to bed after a terrible case of Scarlet Fever. I only wish the Captain would allow them to sing and play."

"Maybe, because I'm young and love to sing and play games, I can help him understand they are important too."

"I hope so. He also goes into town often. One of his fellow navy officers works there. Let me introduce you to the staff. We don't have a housekeeper right now; the maids don't need any direction. They keep the house neat and tidy. You do need to meet the cook; she likes to spoil the children. Her name is Katia."

Helena left the wing which held the captain's study and entered the huge decorated room again. She led them to the opposite wing.

"Helena, I feel like Hansel and Gretl; I need to leave bread crumbs to find my way."

Helena smiled broadly. "You'll learn quickly and besides the children will be more than willing to help you. The kitchen is at the very end of this wing."

Maria peered into several of the rooms whose doors were open; she saw some with large dining tables and others were more like large parlors. The cook had heard their voices and spoke immediately. "Is this your replacement, Helena?"

"Yes Katia, this is Maria."

"Welcome, Maria, feel free to come to the kitchen anytime. I always have coffee available for the captain and hot water for tea. I spoil the children with tea in the afternoon. I'm not British, I like the custom. It's not formal. Now that it's summer, I serve juice and cookies, often on the veranda.

"Thank you Katia, for your invitation. I prefer tea to coffee. I also like the British custom."

"Come on Maria, we'll go out the back door and find the men."

Helena led Maria outside. They stepped into an expansive well-manicured garden. Maria gasped. "Oh my, I've never seen a garden like this; there are so many different flowers and trees."

"And approaching us is the man responsible for it. Stefan, please meet my replacement, Maria."

He was an old fashioned gentleman. He gently took hold of Maria's hand for a kiss. "Sir, you don't need to be so formal, but thank you for your well-mannered gesture."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Fräulein. The children enjoy the garden; they take their afternoon walks here. Friedrich knows all the names of the flowers and trees."

"Thank you for telling me; I'd like to know their names as well. I like flowers but I only know what Edelweiss looks like."

"Stefan, do you know where Phillip is?"

"He's repairing the fence around the pasture, Bessie's been head-butting it again."

"Thanks, we'll go find him."

"Helena, do the children like the cows?"

"They do; they don't pay them much attention. They might shout to them when they pass the pasture on their walk. Do you like them?"

"I'm a farm child; I learned how to milk them when I was eight. And when I became strong enough I would help my guardian churn butter."

"I still find it difficult to believe you grew up an orphan."

"I was very lucky that my mama's relatives took me in and raised me as one of theirs. I see the man repairing the fence."

He must have heard their voices. He stopped pounding with his hammer. He asked as Stefan had. "Is this your replacement, Helena?"

"Yes Phillip, please meet Maria."

"I'd shake your hand but it's very dirty. Welcome to the palace."

"Thank you, I see you have two cows."

"Yes, Bessie and Bertha, they're both good producers. The children drink lots of milk. Now that's it's summer, Katia will be making ice cream, another favorite of the children."

"I must confess. I like ice cream too."

"We need to get back, Maria. I have a few things remaining to pack. And the captain and I still need to tell the children. He wanted to meet you before he told them I was leaving. Do you have any questions?"

"None that I can think of; I'm sure the older children will be able to answer them as I think of them."

"Yes, Liesl and Friedrich will be very helpful."

"Helena, I'll pray for your brother. I'm sure he will get well."

"I hope so Maria; any kind of surgery scares me."

"I know; have faith Helena. Please write to me. I'm sure the children will be concerned."

"I will."

Helena had led Maria back to the front door; she stood in the doorway and watched Maria depart. Maria turned and waived.

Once Maria was off the property, she walked with a skip to her step. She was whistling a happy tune. She spoke to no one. "I can't believe I'll be a governess to seven children and live in a real castle. My, my, what an incredible experience I will have."

She skipped and twirled the entire way home.


	3. The First Day

The First Day

Maria's skipping and twirling didn't stop until she was in the city. Then she had to temper her excitement; she really didn't want to be noticed. There were many people on the streets; it was almost noon.

Once she reached the dormitory, Maria went directly to her room to change her clothes. Her choice was a casual outfit consisting of a simple cream colored blouse and a tan jumper. And now her destination was the dining room.

The room wasn't as crowded as it was during the regular school year; only a few students took summer classes. She was able to get a table by a window. She enjoyed her meal as she watched the squirrels and the birds in the courtyard.

On her way back to her room, she took time to speak with the dorm-mother. She informed her she would be spending the summer as a governess. She decided not to give any details. The woman congratulated her. She said no more because the telephone rang.

Maria stopped by the storage closet to retrieve her travel bag. She didn't own a closet full of dresses. Her bag easily accommodated those she thought she would need for the summer. She would pack the remainder of her personnel items in the morning.

Maria went down to the parlor to sit and read and wait for Annie. She had closed the book when she heard Annie answer the dorm-mother's question.

"I think I did well; neither of the players yelled at me. I never knew they could hit those balls so hard; they zoomed past me."

Maria joined her friend. "Did you have lunch there?"

"I did. I ate with all the other staff. How was your interview?"

Maria laughed at her question. "I suppose you could say the captain interviewed me. He was impressed with my teaching credentials. The palace is huge, Annie. And the gardens are gorgeous; they even have two cows. I'll felt like I was home."

"I'm hungry, Maria. Lunch seems like a long time ago."

"It is after six."

"Yes, it is. I heard the town clock while I was walking. I do want to change first."

Maria went with her friend to their room. Annie was quick. They were on their way to the dining room in a few minutes. Over dinner, they each told more about their experiences. They took a leisurely stroll around the campus before returning to their dormitory. That night, Annie had no problem falling asleep; the sun had made her very tired.

Maria wasn't so lucky. She tried not to toss and turn too much. She lay flat on her back thinking about tomorrow. She was anticipating her role as governess and teacher. But soon she put those thoughts out of her mind and fell asleep.

The two young women woke at about the same time. Maria was the first out of bed; she was ready to begin her new roles. She went on to the bathroom while Annie got the sleep out of her eyes.

Annie was fully awake when she returned. Her dress was laid out on her bed. She took her turn in the bathroom. Maria put on the same dress she had worn yesterday. While Annie dressed, they chatted.

"I'm going miss chatting with you, Annie."

"I feel the same. You're going to have seven children to talk with. I know some of our other girlfriends are staying for the summer. We'll hang out together. I won't be lonely, Maria."

"That's good. We better get to breakfast. I need to be at the castle by nine."

"Same for me Maria; the first match begins at nine-thirty."

They didn't have time to linger over breakfast. They returned to the dormitory to use the bathroom. Annie grabbed her hat and handbag; Maria had her travel bag and guitar.

The two young ladies walked out of the dormitory together. They spoke similar thoughts. "This is goodbye for now. Enjoy your time at the castle."

"I will Annie, don't get your neck all out-of-joint watching the ball; have fun."

Immediately they went in opposite directions. Maria walked a little slower today; her carpet bag and guitar slowed her down. As she came closer to the castle, she spotted a person on the sidewalk in front of it. She smiled as she realized it was the captain. He had seen her and walked in her direction.

"Captain, I'm surprised you don't have a doorman."

"You mean a butler, Maria?"

"Is a butler a doorman's official title?"

"Yes, they mean the same. The answer is no. He left when Hitler started all his talk. He received an offer to go to Switzerland; hopefully that country will remain neutral. I don't mind greeting people, besides we don't get much company. Let me carry your bag."

"Thank you, sir."

"I see you brought your guitar with you."

"I could never leave it behind; it belonged to my father. My guardian gave it to me on my tenth birthday."

"Guardian, Maria?"

"Yes sir, I'm an orphan. My parents died in a carriage accident when I was three. My mama's sister took me in. She raised me as one of her own."

"You speak well of them."

"Yes, I do. I was very fortunate."

"Your room is near the children's. I'm sure you need to freshen up before joining them. They're in the classroom doing an assignment."

Maria followed the captain inside. She was still in awe of the size and grandeur of the palace.

"These stairs take you to your room. Maria, I wouldn't go wandering around the house alone; you really can get lost. My youngest children did when we first moved here. Friedrich has a good sense of direction; he was able to find his little sisters."

"Don't worry Captain; I'll most always be with your children."

"Here we are, Maria. I'll go tell the children you are here and then come back for you."

"Very well, I won't be long."

After a few minutes, Maria stood in the hall outside her room. She laughed. "I see you have an escort, Captain."

"They insisted on following me. They want to show you around. I'll be in my study if anyone needs me."

"Fräulein Maria, we're so glad you will be with us for the summer. Did Fräulein Helena tell you our names?"

"She did. You're Liesl, the oldest, next is Friedrich and then there's Louisa and Kurt. I'd never forget your name. Helena told be you like to be thought of as being almost eleven."

Kurt responded with a laugh and a smile.

"Finally, is nine year old Brigitta, who loves to read. And you two cute little girls are Marta and Gretl."

"Can we hold your hands, Fräulein?"

"I'd be delighted to be escorted by both of you. Where are you taking me first?"

"To our bedroom, which is close to yours."

Marta and Gretl took her inside their room; Maria looked around. "I don't see a toy box in here. I'm sure you have toys."

"It's in the nursery. We'll go there last."

"Let me guess, this next room is for Brigitta and Louisa."

"Yes, that's correct. Friedrich and my room is next and last is Liesl's."

"Thank you Kurt, I see several more doors down the hall."

"First is the nursery. Fräulein, it really isn't a baby's room. It's a large playroom. Let' go inside."

"This is a wonderful room; we can play all kinds of games in there. I bet the next room is your schoolroom."

"It is Fräulein."

"I need to have a good look inside it." Maria opened the door.

"My goodness, this is a real classroom. I see blackboards, walls with large maps and even some science equipment."

"The last room is our own personal library. We can also ask permission to use some of father's books from his study."

After looking around, Maria had a question. "Have any of you ever gone to a real school?"

"No Fräulein, most places where we lived didn't have any close by."

"I see. My intuition tells me you are all very advanced for your age. I'll find out soon."

"Papa said we could take you outside and show you where we take our walks."

"Fräulein Helena introduced me to the men who work outside. I saw some beautiful flowers. Stefan told me that Friedrich's knows all their names.

"I do Fräulein, I find Botany as interesting as Biology and Chemistry. I'll point out a few as we walk around.

Maria was quite impressed with Friedrich's knowledge. They had stopped to examine one of the flowers when Maria asked. "What's that funny sound I hear?"

"That's papa's whistle. He uses it rather than yell for us. We don't mind. It's his navy whistle."

"It is better than yelling. We better go see what he wants."

The Captain was waiting near the door which they had exited. "I only wanted to tell you, I need to go see Uncle Erwin; I'll return in the afternoon."

"Who's buying lunch, Father?"

"You're funny Friedrich. Uncle Erwin is; I bought the last two." Father and son shared a laugh. Maria smiled as well.

"We were finished outside, Captain. Now we're returning to the classroom."

"Very well, I find you when I get home." The captain walked away towards a covered structure to his car. Maria gave directions.

"Children, let's go back to your schoolroom. Your father told me you have an assignment to complete. I'm interested in seeing your work."

"Fräulein, we each have math problems to do and some science questions to answer. For those we need our science books from the library."

"Thank you, Liesl, I'll just observe."

Maria walked around the classroom looking over the children's shoulders as they worked on their assignment. She noted their independence as they completed them. The morning had flown by. Maria was distracted by a sound.

"Now, I hear a real bell ringing."

"That's from our cook, Fräulein Katia. It's lunch time."

"I suppose we should wash-up and find the dining room. At my school, no one was late for meals. We had an excellent cook."

"That's true for ours."

Maria discovered the food was excellent. They enjoyed some pleasant conversation during lunch. Maria asked. "Friedrich, you seemed to enjoy your banter with your father about Uncle Erwin. Tell me about him."

"He's not a real uncle, Fräulein. He's one my father's fellow officers. They're very close, almost like brothers."

"So they tease like brothers."

"They do. It's fun to listen to them. We also refer to two other men as uncles, Uncle Sidney and Uncle James. We don't see them very often."

After everyone had finished eating, Maria asked. "Did everyone finish their assignment?"

She saw seven nods and then Brigitta spoke. "We do our reading after lunch and then we have free time."

"How long do you read?"

"At least thirty minutes, Papa likes us to read a book a week; unless it's a very long one. Marta doesn't read that long and Gretl is just learning to read real books."

"Do you read here in the classroom?"

"Sometimes," Brigitta answered. "But we're free to read anywhere. I like the big chair in the sunroom."

"That's fine. Please come back here after your thirty minutes is up. Your father reminded me not to go wandering around the castle alone. Marta and Gretl, where do you do your reading?"

"We use the big chair in the nursery."

"Good, I know where that is. I'm going to check out your library for a good book; then I'll find you."

Maria was astounded at the number and variety of the books in their library. She found a Jane Austin novel which she took with her. And then she returned to the nursery. As she approached she could hear Marta reading. She stood at the door and listened.

She really wasn't surprised how well she read. Nor was she surprised she liked to read out loud. She knew that children her age had difficulty reading silently. Maria also noted Gretl listened very well.

The two little girls were both sitting in an oversized chair; they must have heard the rustle of her dress. They looked up.

"Hello Fräulein, did you find good book?"

"I did. Marta, tell me about your story."

"It's a fun story. Raggedy Ann and Andy are in a magical garden. They have lots of fun."

"I like those stories also. Do you have a Raggedy Ann doll?"

"No, but I do have my floppy hair doll." She raised it in the air. "I think it was a gift to me when Gretl was born. I take it with me almost everywhere.""

"Dolls are nice companions. Gretl, did you enjoy the story?"

"I did, Fräulein. I also read my Three Bears book. I like the baby bear."

"Very good, girls, your brothers and sisters should be here soon."

Maria barely closed her mouth when they arrived. "Fräulein, we're going to change out of our uniforms and put on more informal clothes."

"I was wondering if you wore your uniforms all day. Brigitta, is it still sunny?"

"No Fräulein, it looks like it's going to rain. We're stuck inside."

"I know how to make a rainy day fun. Hurry back here."

The children were curious about Maria's ideas. They weren't disappointed. They spent the remainder of the afternoon playing games like Duck, Duck Goose, Hot Potato and she taught them how to play Freeze Tag.

It was that game which they were playing when their father came home. He stood in the doorway and watched. He wasn't noticed for a few minutes. Finally the IT person had everyone frozen.

"A very interesting game, Maria." His voice had startled her; she was also frozen.

"Hi Captain, yes it is. It's a good game to expend some energy on a rainy afternoon. I hope you don't mind."

"No Maria and children, all forms of exercise are good."

Friedrich picked up the conversation. "We had fun too, Papa. Did your lunch meeting with Uncle Erwin go well?"

"If your asking did he pay, the answer is yes and our conversation was interesting."

The captain had no desire to share what Erwin had told him about the way the Jewish people were being treated in Germany. His news disgusted him.

Maria had picked up on his cautious speech; she too refrained from asking questions. She was happy that the captain hadn't minded their play time.


	4. Summer School

Summer School

The captain had been sincere in his pleasure of seeing his children play. He was also impressed as to how his children had accepted Maria as their governess and teacher. He felt she had brought _joie de vie_ to his home. The castle was now filled with the children's chatter. Whenever the captain heard them, it brought a smile to his face.

Maria was pleased that he had been genuine in his comment that all forms of exercise were good. She also took her role as teacher very seriously. Maria had to prepare a lesson for each one of them; each was at a different grade level.

She continued to be amazed that they never complained. Each day they eagerly engaged in the subject matter. They were truly self-motivated. Every day, the morning was over before they knew it.

The afternoons were spent playing. If the weather cooperated, they would take long walks or engage in a more aggressive game of tag or kickball. And of course, they looked forward to afternoon tea time.

Maria also shared her letters from Helena with them. The first letter was a mixture of good and bad news. She told them. "Fräulein Helena's brother's surgery was successful. He still needs to be in the hospital; his kidneys were full of stones."

"Stones, Fräulein?"

"That's what she wrote. Maybe there's a book in your library which might tell us more."

"There is; let me go get it."

Friedrich returned and seemed to know exactly where to look. He read about the kidneys' function, cleaning the body's blood supply. And then he found a place which talked about how kidney stones develop and must be removed before they can really damage the kidneys. He finished with this statement.

"We need our kidneys to live; they're as vital as our heart is."

"Thank you Friedrich, we need to continue to pray for him."

And they did. Maria had taught them a morning prayer. It was similar to their _Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep_ prayer which they said at night. This prayer began with, _Now I Begin a New Day_, and concluded with a prayer for Helena's brother to get well quickly.

This particular day the children finished their lessons early. Maria had decided to use this time to introduce music to the children. She began a conversation with them.

"You know children; you have each had lessons in all the academic subjects, mathematics, grammar, writing, history, geography, various sciences and of course your reading. But you are missing one required subject. Does anyone have a guess?"

The children looked at each other; no one had a guess. Instead she heard from Liesl. "Tell us, Fräulein."

"It starts in primary school and continues all the way through your secondary years; it's music class children. Little children like Gretl first learn how to beat out a rhythm on a drum or play a simple tune on a xylophone; then it's singing simple songs like _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star._ Each year you learn to sing more complicated songs; sung in different parts. And finally, you learn about all the great Austrian composers."

"Sounds like fun; I wonder if papa will approve."

"I think he will, Louisa; he approves of playing games on rainy days."

"We don't know how to sing."

Maria reacted to Marta's announcement this way. "Singing is easy as reciting your ABC's. You're not going to be a composer; you don't need to learn how to write music. At least I don't think so."

"I don't either, Fräulein."

Maria smiled at Louisa. "Give me a minute to get my guitar."

Before she got back inside the classroom, she heard Louisa. "This is going to be fun."

Maria brought a chair to the front of the room. After sitting, she told them. "I need to be sure all the strings are in tune; then we can begin our lesson."

They saw her pluck each string and then adjust a small knob on the long handle of the guitar.

"There, it's all in tune; now children we can begin our lesson. You need to learn how to make the sound of the notes. Each note is higher in tone than the previous one. Let me show you."

Maria strummed a chord and intoned the first note using the syllable _ah_. And then the next _ah_ was as she had said was slightly higher than the first. She quickly went up the scale before she paused. The children looked perplexed.

Maria responded to their looks. "Children, I have an easy way for you to learn the notes. My first music teacher taught us this fun little song. Instead of the syllable _ah_ for each note, she taught us to use a word. Who knows the word for a female deer?"

Brigitta answered her. "A doe, Fräulein."

"Correct, and what word is sometimes used for sunlight?"

Friedrich answered. "A ray."

"You're correct. All the other notes have their special word too. Let me sing all of them for you and then you can try.

Maria began to sing all the notes with their reference word or phrase. She could see their eager faces. "Now, it's your turn; repeat after me."

Maria was amazed; they sang each one correctly the first time. "Children, you have learned how to sing. With these notes in your head, you will be able to sing almost anything."

Louisa spoke. "I can't believe how easy it is to sing; even Marta and Gretl were singing."

"I noticed. Now let's substitute different words."

They learned it as easily. The children were excited; they sang very loud and could barely sit still in the classroom. Now Maria encouraged them to follow her. They went out of the classroom, down the stairs and by the kitchen. Katia came out to listen.

They stopped to catch their breaths. "I can't believe you're singing, children. You sound wonderful."

"Our Fräulein taught us all the notes to sing so we can almost anything. It's all part of our music class."

"Louisa is right, Katia. Every school in Austria teaches music. They're also going to learn about some of the famous Austrian composers, like Strauss, Mozart and Hayden."

"I wonder what the captain will say."

"I'll explain just as I did to you; I think he'll understand."

It was a few days later. The captain was home that morning; he was in his study. He heard the clock gong twelve times. The captain left the room to join his children for lunch. As he approached the great hall with the huge chandelier, he heard singing.

As he came closer he saw his children playing on the stairs. The song they were singing was new to him; he heard all their _do, re, and mi-s_. They saw him and stopped.

"Papa, we're having music class. Fräulein Maria taught us how to sing. Music class is one of our required classes."

"Kurt is correct Captain. Most of their morning is spent on all the academic subjects. It's only after they have completed those lessons did I teach them how to sing. Your children are very talented; they have a God given talent for music."

The captain smiled as he heard Maria's defense of singing. "You children did sound wonderful. I do remember having a music class at the military academy. Music was only taught to us in our primary grades."

"But Papa, I know you can sing. I remember sitting at the top of the stairs in our old house listening to you and Mama sing together."

"Yes, Liesl, your mama and I did enjoy singing together." The captain knew it was his grief which made him forbid singing. He continued his response. "Enough time has passed, Liesl. I want you and your siblings to sing."

And Maria understood perfectly; she knew it had been almost four years since his wife had died.

"Maybe your papa and I can teach you some of those songs."

"Please do; I want to learn them too."

"We will Gretl; I promise. I hear Katia's bell; it's lunch time."

Lunch took a long time; the captain sat and listened to his children's chatter. The opportunity for the captain to teach them some of the songs he and Agathe had sung together came on a stormy afternoon. They congregated in the big parlor.

Their father taught them a hunting song, two silly sailor songs and one which he described as their mama's favorite. It was a love song. It had phrases like these; apple blossom time in May was the time to change your name to mine; church bells will chime during apple blossom time and our wedding will be on that wonderful day in May when you become mine.

Liesl was quick to rave about the song. "I can see why Mama liked that song. Maybe one day a boy might sing it to me."

"Hopefully, not too soon, Liesl."

"No Papa, it won't be soon. But one day I'll meet a boy as kind and loving as you."

The captain was moved by his daughter's response. He was glad to see Katia enter the room and speak.

"Is anyone hungry? It's past the dinner hour."

"We were singing, Katia; give us a minute to freshen-up."

Maria and the children left the room. The captain thought out loud. "I never thought I would sing that song again. Agathe, I know you are happy; that awful ache in my heart is gone. I must thank Maria sometime; she brought music back into my home."

He headed for the dining room with a smile on his lips and with a healed heart. The captain only wished the Germans weren't threatening to take over Austria.

The next few weeks continued to be enjoyable. Helena's letters were encouraging. Her brother was growing stronger every day. She thought they could come home soon. The captain was now having twice weekly meetings with Erwin. This fact worried Maria, although she didn't know why.

Then one evening, after the children were in bed, the captain found Maria. "I need to talk with you. Will you come to my study?"

"Of course, sir, I'll be down in a moment."

"Very well, my door will be open."

Maria took only as long as she needed to freshen-up. She hurried down the stairs. She really was worried. The captain was pacing in and out of the doorway. He saw her.

"Maria, let's sit in the two chairs by the window."

Maria took his suggestion. He began immediately. "I received a letter from Helena today. Her brother is well enough to travel."

"That's good news, Captain."

"It is, but there's more. They're not coming back to Austria."

"Why sir?"

"Maria, do you know anything about Hitler?"

"Only that the German people have made him chancellor."

"That's true. Maria, do you remember the Exodus story about spies being sent out ahead to look at the land God had promised to them?"

"I do sir. How is it relevant?"

"It's proof that countries have always had spies. It's true today. Our Austrian spies are very active in Germany. They have told us that many German Jews have disappeared."

"How does this knowledge affect Helena and her brother?"

"Her brother's name is Samuel; a name given to many Jewish boys."

"Do they think he's Jewish?" Maria exclaimed in an astounded voice.

"I'm afraid so. One of our spies warned them and others are helping them travel to London." The captain calmly explained.

"This is terrible, Captain. Your children are going to be terribly sad."

"Yes, I know and there's no easy way to tell them. I certainly don't want to alarm them."

"I agree. I'll keep them busy. Maybe they won't question me anytime soon."

"Helena did ask that we pack her things. Erwin knows the stationmaster in Vienna. He'll be more than willing to see that the trunk gets to London."

"Katia and I can do that late one night. I'm sure you're going to tell her and the men."

"Yes, I plan to."

For the next week the adults were able to keep the news from the children. The captain wasn't surprised when Brigitta found him in his study.

"Papa, we've had no recent news from Fräulein Helena. Do you know why?"

"Brigitta, I do. Let me tell all of you after dinner."

"Sure, Papa, I can wait."

"Thank you, now tell papa how many books have you read?"

"About ten."

"I should have known." Brigitta turned with a twirl to leave her papa's study.

"At least she makes me smile; I need not be so serious at dinner. She's like Agathe; she can read my mind." Georg told himself.

Maria and the captain managed to get through dinner with no questions from any of the children. Although Maria did notice Brigitta looked at her father on several occasions. The captain had also noticed. He also saw that everyone had finished their dessert. He decided the time was now.

"Let's go in the largest sitting room so we can all have comfortable seats and still see one another."

Brigitta smiled. She was anticipating learning about Fräulein Helena. Her father didn't make her wait.

"I know you are wondering when Fräulein Helena is coming home. I know this won't make you happy but she's not coming back."

"Why?" the inquisitive child asked.

"Helena's brother is well enough to travel, but not alone. He wants to go to London. Helena is going to go with him."

"That's nice of her Papa. What's going to happen when Fräulein Maria returns to the university?"

"I'll worry about that later. It's only the end of July."

"Your father is right. We have time before your bedtime to play a game. One we can all play together."

"Like what?"

"Have you ever played charades?"

"No Fräulein, we haven't."

"I'm surprised. It's a fun game. Each person silently acts out a word or phrase. I'll give you an easy example. Watch me."

Maria got up on her toes; formed a half circle with her hands above her head and twirled slowly in a circle.

"I know Fräulein, you're a ballerina."

"Now it would be your turn, Liesl. Is there any paper handy? I need to write down some charades."

"I'll get some from my study."

"And I'll be thinking, sir."

In a moment the captain returned and handed her the paper and a pencil. Maria tore the paper in strips. "Now give me a few minutes to write them out."

She heard the children. "This is going to be so much fun."

"Okay, now let me mix them up. Liesl, you can go first."

She picked one of the pieces of paper. Read it and sat on the floor. She held onto an imaginary cup and with her little pinky up in the air, she pretended to sip.

Brigitta shouted. "You're drinking tea."

"Correct, your turn."

Brigitta brought her fist to her lips and bent her other arm back and forth in rhythm.

"I know. You're playing a trombone."

"Correct, Kurt."

And so it went, they laughed until they cried. Their father was last. He stood, slightly bent over, and brought his arms up to his armpits and danced around.

"Papa, you're a monkey."

"I am Gretl and this monkey says it's past your bedtime."

"Children, we can play again sometime. I'll have more time to prepare. Go on up; girls I'll be there shortly to read you a story."

The captain and Maria were alone. "Thank you Maria, you have so many good ideas. It helped them not to be so sad about Helena."

"You're most welcomed. Let me go tuck your girls in bed."

The captain watched her walk away. His serious face returned. He had another meeting with Erwin tomorrow.


	5. End of Summer

End of Summer

The chatter from seven children reached the captain's ears long before he reached the dining room for breakfast. They were talking about all the fun they had had last night playing charades.

He heard Friedrich. "Even Papa had a good time. I think he laughed the hardest."

The captain was all smiles when he greeted them. "Good morning children, I think all of us enjoyed a good laugh. Laughter is medicine for our soul; God wants us to laugh."

"Your papa is correct. Laughing is mentioned several times in the Bible; the most famous is from the book of Ecclesiastes where it says _there is a time for laughter._ Without laughter the world would be a sad place."

"Well said, Maria. Do you have exciting lessons for school this morning?"

"Maybe more challenging than exciting, Captain. Each child is going to learn a new skill in mathematics."

"That's good, Fräulein Maria. You know I love math."

"Yes, I do Kurt."

When breakfast was over, the captain announced. "While you learn a new math skill, Uncle Erwin and I will have a chat."

His announcement elicited this response from Friedrich. "You and Uncle Erwin seem to have a lot to talk about lately."

The captain had to think quickly. "He's only keeping me in the know about the mayor's proclamations. There's nothing to worry about."

Maria's intuition told her that his statement was only partially true. She was almost certain the captain and Erwin were discussing Hitler. Before coming here, she freely walked the street of Vienna. She had heard the name Hitler spoken on almost every street corner where men seemed to congregate. She had to put her thoughts out of her mind; she didn't want to elicit Brigitta's sixth sense.

The children were anxious to finish their math lesson; for Gretl is was adding more than two numbers; Marta had two digit subtraction problems. Brigitta was learning long division; both Kurt and Louisa had complex geometry problems to solve. Friedrich was solving chemistry related algebra problems. Liesl was helping her little sisters; she had already passed her mathematics examination.

When everyone was finished, Maria suggested they get up and stretch. They decided to run sprints in the hall. After a few minutes, they were eager to move on to their next lesson, a science lesson using the microscope.

Maria was letting Friedrich teach his siblings how to use it. He even had ready-made slides to look at. His slides included pollen from flowers, flattened insects and even some bacteria.

The children then drew pictures and wrote a short description of what they saw. Even Marta and Gretl did well. They were so engaged they didn't hear the lunch bell. Katia had to come to them.

Katia rang it in the doorway. The children jumped. "You scarred us Fräulein Katia."

"It's fifteen minutes past lunch time. What has you so engrossed?"

"Friedrich's slides of bacteria."

"Bacteria give me the shivers. You better wash your hands really well."

"We will. They're dead and the slide has a protective covering; we really don't have bacteria on our hands."

"That might be true, Friedrich but you still need to wash your hands."

"Yes, we know we do." Friedrich gave her a friendly smile. Katia caught him and winked.

The children went to their rooms to freshen up before hurrying down the stairs. Suddenly, they were very hungry. As usual, the children didn't linger after they had eaten; they were anxious to do their reading so they could have free time.

After they had departed, Maria stayed behind to talk with Katia. "Katia, you know the captain better than I do. Do you believe he knows more than he's willing to share? I'm sure he hears all the men talking about Hitler when he's in Vienna."

"It's difficult to tell. He hides things well. The housekeeper, who was here when I first came, told me he was always upbeat every time he was home on leave during the war. The children were so young then, I'm sure not even Friedrich asked him many questions.

"The only thing I've ever witnessed was when he used match sticks to represent his submarine and enemy ships. The boys loved to hear how he sunk the enemy's ships. I don't think they really realized how dangerous it was."

"No, they probably didn't. I think the captain was being truthful about Erwin telling him about the mayor's proclamations. I remember hearing his name along with Hitler's spoken by men on the street corners. I think the mayor is a big supporter of Hitler."

"I do know the mayor doesn't like Jewish people. He fears they will take over his city. I think he learned that from Hitler."

Now Maria had to hide her emotions. She remembered the real reason Helena didn't come back. "I need to stop worrying. I'm sure the captain will share when it is necessary. I better meet up with the children, I'm sure they finished reading. I think we'll take a walk."

Maria was met by seven children as she left the dining room. "I see you finished your reading. Let's go for walk by the river; maybe some boats will be on the river."

After each took their turn in the bathroom, they were off. Maria took them to the river bank where there was a place which actually had several benches. She told them.

"These were put here for people to enjoy the boating races."

"What kind of boats race?" Kurt asked.

"I've seen sailboats and long slender rowboats which have several men rowing in sync to a rhythm pounded out by the person riding in front. Maybe we'll get lucky and they might be practicing today."

Before any race boats appeared, the fishermen did. Close to the opposite river bank they saw men using nets to catch fish.

"Look every one; their nets are so full they can hardly lift them."

"That's good. Kurt. The fish market will have fresh fish to sell today."

No sooner had the fisherman gone ashore did the rowboats appear. They watched them line up as runners would do. They heard the starting gun sound and they took off. No one had ever seen boats go so fast.

"They must be very strong, Fräulein, to row that fast."

"I'm sure they get that way through much practice. Do you see those birds over there where the fishermen were?"

"They're big birds."

"They are Marta. They're called pelicans. The fisherman stirred up the fish, now they're easy for them to catch. There's a restaurant in town which has them all around their property. They love to sit and stare at the customers eating dinner."

"That's funny."

"It is Marta; many of the customers laugh too. We should get home. I'm thirsty. I'm sure it's tea time."

Maria was correct; it was tea time. Katia had brought the last pitcher of juice to the tea room. The castle had a specific room for tea time. It had multiple chairs; each was near a small table where one could place either their tea cup or glass as they munched on their cookies.

While they were eating, the captain came home. He teased his children. "Did you save any cookies for me?"

Louisa teased back. "Not a single one is left Papa."

"Not to worry, Captain; I have more in the kitchen. I'll bring you a plate full."

"Thank you, Katia, children, did you do anything special this afternoon."

"We did Papa. Our Fräulein took us to the river."

"What did you see?"

He heard, "fishermen with a net full of fish and row boat races."

"You must be talking about scull boats."

"I never knew they had a special name, Captain."

"They do Maria. I'm not sure when that name was adopted; I do know it's an ancient sport."

The captain finished his cookies and juice after the children had left the room. Maria had purposely stayed behind.

"Captain, you seem less worried. Did Erwin have some good news for a change?"

"I suppose you could call it good news. The country will have a vote next spring. They must choose between remaining an independent state or giving up their autonomy and become part of Germany."

"I don't suppose you have any idea which way the vote may go."

"I prefer not to make a guess. I'm going to try and enjoy this time of political quiet. Maria, the month of August is half over."

"Say no more Captain; I have thought about it. On Monday, I need to go to the university for a conference with my professor. I'll learn my class schedule."

"Can you keep that part a secret? Maybe tell the children you only need to check-in with him."

"I can do that, Captain. I don't want to worry them."

"Thank you. Where did the children run off to?"

"To see if their clay pieces are dry enough for painting. We left them in the sunroom yesterday."

"Maybe we should go find them."

Together, the captain and Maria walked to the nursery. Maria had prepared the paints. They were dressed in their smocks and engaged in painting their sculptures. Maria and the captain walked around and observed.

"I'm really impressed, children. These are fine pieces of sculpture and I like your color choices."

"Fräulein Maria is a good art teacher."

"Now you children need to take credit for your work. I only taught you the basics; you used them to create your pieces."

Liesl spoke up. "Is every one finished?"

She heard a yes from her brothers and sisters. "I'll collect your brushes and go wash them while you put on the lids to the containers. Maybe we can paint another day."

"Thank you, Liesl. We should get washed-up for dinner."

After dinner was another rousing game of charades. Maria had prepared many different charades. Even Katia and the two men, Stefan and Phillip joined them. It was way past the children's bedtime when the game was called.

It didn't matter it was late; tomorrow was Saturday. They had no school. No one was expecting to be woke by an early morning thunderstorm.

Maria was still in bed, but she was awake. Suddenly her door opened and two little girls stood there with big eyes.

"Are you scared of a thunderstorm?"

Neither answered, they ran to her bed and hid under the covers. "I suppose, your hiding means yes."

They both showed their face only to cover them again with the next thunder boom. Now Maria laughed as she saw the other five standing at her door.

"You might as well join your sisters."

"It's so loud, Fräulein. It rattled the lights in our rooms."

All of them hid their heads at an ever louder thunder boom. "I have an idea. We can sing so we won't hear the thunder. Let's sing the goatherd song. I'll sing the verses and you can yodel with me."

Maria started the song. "High on a hill…" The verse went on to describe how everyone in town heard this lonely goatherd's song. And then the yodeling came and they sang together, "Layee odl, layee…" over and over.

The song told the story of goats and of young people in love. And the verse, "Happy are they…," ends the song as Maria and the children sing "… lee-ee odl lay!"

As they finished, a voice from the door startled them. "An interesting song, Maria. Children, why are you in Maria's room?"

"That thunderstorm was loud Papa."

"I see. I understand Marta and Gretl being scared. You older children were sacred too?"

"The thunder rattled the lights in all our rooms."

"What do you hear now?"

"It's quiet, Papa. We chased the storm away. I hope Fräulein Katia has breakfast ready. We've worked up an appetite."

"I'm sure you have Kurt."

The captain got out of the way for seven children who stampeded to their rooms to dress. "I'll be downstairs, Maria."

"And I'll get dressed and join you."

Breakfast was ready. They ate as the rain continued. Even Stefan and Phillip ate with them. Phillip had already milked the cows and provided feed for them in the barn. He kept a promise to the children. He would help them make a couple of bird houses today.

Later they used the great hall to play games like freeze tag and to run races. The captain watched and cheered on the racers. Soon it was tea time. Katia had prepared a more substantial snack and in addition to juice for the children she had freshly brewed coffee for the captain and Maria had a large cup of hot tea. They were all satisfied until dinner was served.

The children had had enough activity for the day. They took their father's suggestion to join him in the big sitting room. There he would share with them his stories about his travels as a young sixteen year old. They were fascinated with his tales of the Far-East.

He concluded this way. "I had an opportunity few people are given. You never know children; a similar opportunity may come to you one day. We've had a busy day, despite the rain. I think it's time for bed."

No one complained. They eagerly went up to bed.

Sunday didn't start out as yesterday had. Today was bright and sunny. Katia packed a picnic basket for them. All of them, including the captain, left the castle around ten and didn't return until tea time.

That evening, they engaged in another rousing game of charades. It had already become the children's favorite game. They were having so much fun, the children complained about needing to go to bed.

"I'm glad you like the game; but you do need your sleep. Tomorrow is a school day."

Reluctantly, the children said good night and headed upstairs. The captain commented. "You found some very challenging charades; even I was stumped on a few."

"I had to; your children have learned the game well. I better get some sleep. I want to be sure everything is ready for tomorrow."

It was after breakfast when Maria told them she had to meet with her professor. "I wrote out all your lessons. I'm sure they will keep you occupied until I return. Can you do that for me?"

Liesl replied. "Of course we can. Your lessons are always very interesting."

"Thank you, I'll be back by lunch time."

The children left the dining room. The captain had a surprise for Maria. "I'll drive you to the university."

"Now you know that's not necessary."

"Humor me, Maria. I'm only being a gentleman."

"I know you are, I thank you."

"Are you ready to leave?"

"I am."

They walked together to the car shed where the captain politely opened the car door for Maria. That gesture elicited a smile from her. She had never been around a real gentleman before. The ride into the city took less than ten minutes. Maria directed him around the campus to the education building.

"Maria, I'll wait right here for you. I may sit on that bench across the street and people watch and listen to the young people."

"I shouldn't be too long."

Maria disappeared into the building and the captain took a seat on the bench. He heard more than he had expected. The young men were all talking about Hitler's youth army.

His only thought was, you poor misguided boys, you don't know Hitler's real intent. He was disgusted. Then some girls walked by; their conversation was more pleasant. He heard all about the dress each was wearing to the dance on Friday.

He had another thought. That could be Liesl in a year. He smiled.

His smile matched Maria's who was almost running out the door. "Captain, I have the best news. My teaching your children this summer goes towards my practice teaching requirement. I only need to show my professor my lesson plans."

"That is good news. Did you really make lesson plans?"

"I had to; each of your children needed their own assignment. I must admit they keep me on my toes."

"Then you don't need to leave the children in September."

"That's right, Captain. All I need to do is get my lessons plans to the professor."

"That can be arranged. Let's keep this a secret. I wonder which child will realize you're not going back to your dormitory room."

"I think we both know who that will be."

"Maybe not, we may be surprised."

"Speaking of the dormitory made me remember; I need to get the remainder of my clothes. I have nothing for the cooler days ahead."

"We have time Maria. Which way do I go?"

"Straight ahead, Captain and then take a right at the next intersection. My dorm is on the right."

The traffic was light; the captain parked in front. Maria got out on her own. "I shouldn't be long."

Maria had to pass by the dorm-mother. She called to her. "Maria, I wondered when you would return."

"I'm not here to stay. My teaching the seven children at the castle is credit for my student teaching. I'm staying with them until February. I'm here to pick up the remainder of my clothes."

"Annie has gone home. She's doing her student teaching there. Her parents picked her up on Saturday. She left this letter for you."

"Thank you, I can't wait to read it."

Maria hurried to the hall closet to pick up another bag. This time the bag was stuffed; heavy shawls, sweaters and boots along with a few more dresses took up a lot of room. She was glad she didn't have far to carry it.

The captain saw her struggling with it and jumped out of the car to help her. "Let me carry your bag; it's quite full."

"Thank you, heavy clothes and boots take up a lot of room."

Again, the captain opened the car door for Maria. She smiled a thank you. He placed the bag in the trunk. As they drove away, he spoke.

"I'll take your bag to your room later. I'm sure the children are waiting for us."

"Yes, probably, outside the front door. It's almost lunch time."

Maria was correct. Kurt greeted them. "We just finished our assignments. I hope we can play after lunch."

"I believe that can be arranged, Kurt. Your papa and I are hungry too."

There was plenty of sunshine that afternoon; they played outside. Even the captain came out to play a game of kickball with his children. Maria and the two little girls sat and watched.

It was when Maria was getting ready for bed did she remember Annie's letter in her pocket. She sat on the bench at the end of her bed and read it. It wasn't a long letter. In it Annie had told her that several of their other classmates were also doing their student teaching in their hometowns.

Annie had offered no explanation. Maria sat at the desk in her room and composed a letter to her. Maria felt she knew more than she had shared; her letter had several questions.

In the morning, Maria put the letter in her pocket. She would ask the captain to mail it for her.


	6. The Months of Autumn

The Months of Autumn

The next morning, Maria didn't need an alarm clock to wake earlier than usual. She wanted to see the captain before breakfast. Maria knew the captain was an early riser. She went directly to his study. He rarely shut the door. That morning was no exception.

Maria was sure he had heard her approach; her footsteps on the marble floor made a click-clack noise. And indeed he had; he was looking towards the door when she entered.

"Good morning, Maria, you're up early this morning."

"I am sir. I wrote a letter to my friend Annie. I didn't notice a postal box by your front door to put it in."

"I don't get enough mail to have a postman bring it here. I have the post office in the city hold my mail. I can take it to town with me."

"So you're going to raise Friedrich's suspicions again."

"Yes, I suppose I will. Were the children stirring?"

"No, not yet. It is a little early sir. I'll go up and check on them. I'm sure they will all be awake soon."

"Okay, I'll meet you in the dining room, shortly."

Maria did find Liesl and the boys in the hall, talking but not dressed. After acknowledging their Fräulein, they scampered back to their room to dress. She helped Marta and Gretl with their hair. They met the captain in the dining room.

Their jibber-jabber didn't include a question to Maria about her trip to see her professor yesterday. Silently, both Maria and the captain were glad. But Friedrich was vocal about his father's trip into town. His father responded differently.

"Son, I need to check on the mail. I'm expecting a letter from Uncle Sidney."

"Is he coming to see us soon? It's been a long time."

"I don't know; but I will encourage him when I write him back. I'll be sure to mention that you children would like to see him."

"Please do, Papa." The captain had a fatherly smile of approval for his eldest son.

After a filling breakfast, the morning began. Maria had more interesting lessons for the children and the captain left for the city. A similar routine would follow over the next several days.

The captain used his trips to see Erwin as a time to let out his frustration. Although the country was having a vote in the spring, the news out of Germany was unsettling. The two men shared their disgust.

Every day Maria expected to have one of the children question her. And now enough days had past that she expected a letter from Annie.

The classroom had a wall calendar. One morning, Maria found Kurt looking at it. "Kurt, you counted off the days last month until your Birthday occurred. It has come and gone; you're officially eleven."

"Yes, I know. I thought you had to return to the university in September. Haven't classes started by now."

"They have."

"Fräulein, you're worse than Brigitta. She never answers questions directly; she must always give a clever answer."

"Is that what I am, Kurt, clever?"

The others had arrived. They all spoke. "Tell us, please."

"I will children. You see when I saw my professor; he asked what I had done during the summer. He was surprised I had been your teacher. You see, my class this semester is called Practice Teaching. It's a time we use everything we have been taught to teach a real class. You are my class. With the summer months and until the end of January, I will have fulfilled my Practice Teaching."

"That's wonderful news."

"I think so too, Liesl. It's even better; I will have completed all my classes for my degree. Now I must call school to order. I have some interesting lessons for each of you."

The children were so engaged they didn't see their father come to the door. He motioned to Maria to come to him. They walked to the far end of the hall.

"Have you told them?"

"Kurt forced my hand. He noticed the calendar now said September; he wanted to know why I hadn't returned to classes."

"I'm sure all of them were happy with your news."

"Yes, very much. Are you going into town today?"

"No, I need to complete some correspondence."

The captain had been thinking about this reprieve from what he believed to be the inevitable. He needed to prepare for the outcome of the referendum. He had several tasks on his list. The first was a simple task of collecting all his important papers; the most important were his children's birth certificates. He also collected some military papers and placed his Maria Thespian Medal with them.

Then he turned his attention to financial matters. He prepared a withdrawal request for the local bank. He feared the time when the Germans would freeze the bank's money. He would leave a residual so as not to cause alarm.

When the captain was in the city, he had heard the men talking on the street corners, just as Maria had. Between what he heard there and things Erwin had told him, he knew which way the referendum would go. He also knew that when the Germans did take over Austria that his days of living in Austria were over.

He didn't need a mystic to read the tea leaves. They were perfectly clear. He also knew his fellow officers, Erwin, Sidney and James also knew. They could read the tea leaves too.

The captain's real correspondence was a letter to Sidney. He had been his co-commander on the submarine. When the war ended he had bought a run-down lodge near the German border outside of Salzburg. Sidney heard more about Hitler's intentions than most people. The captain wrote in his letter an answer to his question.

_Yes, I am happier and so are the children. I already told you about the young college woman Helena found to take her place. The children have embraced her fully._

_I found them playing games one rainy afternoon. Their delight cracked my shell. And then a week or so later, I heard them singing in the great hall. They were running up and down the stairs to a song called, do-re-mi in which Do was actually a doe – a female deer and Re was ray as in sunlight._

_I was astounded at their talent. I had no idea. She's also an excellent teacher. All of them, especially Marta and Gretl, have motherly feelings towards her._

_I'm sure if you come for Christmas, you will see exactly what I mean. You know my children would love to see you again. Think about it and let me know your plans._

_Till then, stay safe. _

He addressed the envelope. He would mail it tomorrow and check to see if any mail was waiting for him. The morning was over; he could hear his children singing as they came down for lunch. They passed by his door. Maria peaked in.

"Captain, have you finished your correspondence?"

"I have; I can't believe it's lunch time."

"Your children said the same." They walked together to the dining room.

Their father heard all about their lessons, complicated algebra or geometry problems, an interesting science project and a geography study of the Americas. He heard this from Friedrich.

"Papa, I can't believe how big the United States is; all of Eastern Europe would only fill half of the land. It stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It even has water on its southern border. It also has several mountain ranges."

"And do you know its people are as diverse as the land forms are? People from all the world's countries live there."

"Fräulein Maria did tell us about them; all of us want to learn more."

"It pleases me you are so eager to learn. What are your plans for after your reading time is over?"

"A walk to the hills where we first met Fräulein Maria."

"Kurt's correct. We need to take advantage of these nice days. We know the afternoon rains will come soon. Why don't you join us?"

"Thank you, Maria. I accept your invitation."

Although the sun had already begun its descent towards sunset, it was still bright when the family began its walk. Maria always had Marta and Gretl by her side. The older girls were behind her. The captain walked with Brigitta. Kurt and Friedrich led.

They were a happy bunch as they hopped, skipped and ran over the foot bridge and up the highest hill. It brought this remark from the captain.

"I didn't realize you can see the castle from here."

"We were surprised too. I don't think we realize how big it is." He heard from Louisa.

"Everyone, we've been gazing at the castle while the clouds have been building; we better get going before they let loose of their water."

They listen to him and hurried along much faster than they had come. They arrived home just in time.

"That was close Captain. I don't think we will ever walk that far again. The rainy season has begun. We can spend time outside on the veranda or a stroll through the gardens to get our fresh air."

The autumn rain in Austria is fickle; one minute it may be raining hard and a few minutes later the sun might be shinning. It was between those two extremes did the captain have time to make it to the post office the next day without getting drenched. He mailed his letter and found a letter addressed to Maria. He knew it was from her friend. He returned home to find his children playing in the great hall.

He walked up beside Maria. "I believe you have been expecting this." He handed her the letter.

"Yes, I have. Let me see if she answered my questions." Maria scanned the letter. She was disturbed at what she read.

"Captain, can I talk to you later?"

"Of course you can. We'll plan to meet after the children go up to bed."

Maria knew she had to hide her concern; she did her best to be upbeat until that time arrived.

They sat in those two chairs by the window in the captain's study.

"Maria, I detected that something in Annie's letter disturbed you."

"Yes Captain there was. She told me that all our classmates were sent to their home towns to do their student teaching; something about Vienna not being safe for them to be out in the community. Do you know why?"

The captain had to think quickly of the best way to address Maria's question. "Maria, you told me you only knew Hitler had become chancellor several months ago."

"True captain, but you told me about Helena's brother. That has been on my mind since. One morning I asked Katia what she knew. She told me that the mayor of Vienna disliked Jewish people for fear they would take over his city."

"All that is true. It's also felt that if the referendum goes Hitler's way, Vienna will be one of the first cities the Germans will occupy. There's also talk he may not wait for the vote to occur. Once his troops occupy the city, he would probably replace all the school teachers with others who would teach his delusional ideas. The university probably didn't want its students to be caught up in all of that."

"This is very concerning. I now understand why Annie's father is planning on going to Switzerland after the first of the year. Captain, are you going to be in danger?"

"I may be; but with the help of the Austrian spies, I will hopefully be one step ahead of the Germans. Maria, we can't let it consume us. There are still more than two months left before the New Year begins."

"All I can do is keep the children extra busy; I'll plan accordingly."

"And I will help all I can without alarming Brigitta."

Maria had to smile. "She does seem to have a sixth sense." The captain nodded.

Maria's prayers that night and every night were for their safety. In the morning she would pray for happy thoughts. Those prayers helped her to be upbeat around the children.

The rainy days of October brought lessons in meteorology. Her first assignment for the children was to learn the meaning of the word, meteorology. They had eagerly found books in their library to help.

Stefan had helped them make a rain gauge. They were amazed at how much rain was dropped during the afternoon showers. They often had their lessons on the veranda so they could observe the clouds. Again books from the library taught them the different names of the clouds.

And one day, Maria set up easels so they could paint pictures of them. Their papa found them.

"Your pictures are as beautiful as your works of clay. I'm impressed." He exclaimed.

"Do you paint, Captain?"

"No Maria, I can't claim that talent. I remember being very happy when art was no longer a required class."

"I'm not good at it either. I think all my artistic talent was given to me to sing."

"Which you do beautifully." A reply which brought a coy smile to Maria's face. She didn't have time to reply; one of the children called to her. She left the captain to attend to Marta's question.

After the children finished their paintings, they were left to dry while they had lunch. Later they would retrieve them and hang them in the classroom. And after their reading Maria always had ideas to get exercise and some fresh air. They didn't need to leave their property; there was a lot of land to explore. And each day she planed creative and educational lessons for the children.

With all this activity, the month of October disappeared. The month of November had begun; Maria began to think about Christmas. She spoke with Liesl.

"Do you have any Christmas traditions?"

"Not really, Fräulein, we older children lived with my mama's mother when we were young. And I know Papa wasn't always home for Christmas. There was a tree and we did receive gifts. It was a happy time. But since mama died we haven't had much of a celebration. Maybe things will be different this year. Do you have any ideas?"

"I never had an elaborate Christmas. My guardians weren't poor but counting me, they had five children. I remember receiving a new dress and one toy. Usually it was something handmade. We did sing a lot; I learned a lot of Christmas carols."

"Can you teach us? The only one we know is Silent Night."

"That's a good one to know. Do you know who wrote?"

"No Fräulein, can you tell us?"

"I can. It will be your music class tomorrow."

As Maria had told the captain, music class was held only after they had completed all their academic lessons. And that was the rule Maria followed the next day. She told the other children about her conversation with Liesl. She could see their eyes light up.

She began to tell them how the song _Silent Night_ came to be. "Children, the composing of the song is almost a miracle. A young Austrian pastor had just sat through a wonderful play about the birth of Jesus. His name was Josef Mohr.

"He took a long walk before returning to his residence. He was on a very high hill. He could see a peaceful snow-covered village. As he gazed at the glowing almost painted-like Christmas scene, he remembered a poem he had written about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.

"Now he needed someone to compose a melody to make his poem into a song. He knew the church's organist was a talented musician. He asked Franz Gruber to do just that. Gruber did compose the melody which became the song, _Silent Night._

"And children, because the church organ was broken, the two men sang it together as Gruber played the guitar. In many churches today it is usually sung the same way."

"Can you play it on your guitar?"

"I can children. That's why I have it with me. Let's sing it together."

They sang it unison the first time through. Then Maria added another voice. She was surprised when Liesl and Louisa sang with her.

"Very good," Maria exclaimed. "Your musical talent continues to amaze me. Maybe you have heard the song, _Away in the Manager._"

Again it was Liesl who had a memory. "I remember my mama singing it; it's almost like a lullaby. It's about the Baby Jesus lying in a manger."

"Yes, that's right. It too is easy to learn."

After hearing Maria sing the first verse, the children joined her as she repeated it. Again she was amazed; most of them sang it perfectly. Only Marta and Gretl needed more time.

Over the next few days, they had perfected that song and began to learn many others. Because it had turned cold, they could no longer use the sunroom; it didn't receive enough sunlight to warm it; it was rather chilly. They used the big parlor instead.

One day their papa found them there. He sat quietly and listened to them sing. He was really impressed. For the first time since Agathe died he realized he was no longer fearful of the Christmas season.

He remembered that no one had expected the family to celebrate the first Christmas after Agathe died. Even the family's pastor had been very understanding. He had comforted him with these words, _God understands your grief; He knows you will heal in time._

As that year had progressed, he had found that to be true. But still he couldn't bring himself to celebrate Christmas with great joy. He had asked his housekeeper to buy gifts for his children. It wasn't an exuberant Christmas but it had brought pleasure to his children. The next one was about the same.

On another occasion he had returned home and found them standing as a choir would; the three oldest formed the back row; the others filled out the front row. They each held their hands at their waist.

"Maria, my children sound like a choir. I'm impressed. How did they learn all of them so fast?"

"I don't know, Captain. As I've said before, they have God-given talent."

He surprised his children with these words. "Children, this year we will celebrate Christmas with great exuberance. We need to invite, Katia, Stefan and Phillip to help us plan it."

"And Papa, will you invite our uncles to come. We haven't seen them in a long time."

"Friedrich, I already wrote a letter to Uncle Sidney. I'll contact Uncle James and invite him and his family to join us. We'll have a merry old time."

"Papa, that will be wonderful!" Marta exclaimed. "I can hardly wait."

In a few days, the captain planned a meeting with all those living with them. He first questioned Stefan. "Do you know if there are any Christmas decorations?"

"Yes Captain, there are. In fact there's a whole room full on the third floor."

"Can we go see them Papa?"

He saw his children jump out of their chairs before he could answer them. Everyone followed Stefan to the third floor room.

They stood in awe after Stefan had turned on the light. The captain expressed all their thoughts.

"There's so much here; where do we begin."

"It is organized." Stefan went on to explain. "Over here are decorations for Christmas trees. Yes you heard right, I did say trees. The Empress must have had a tree in several rooms. I'm sure we will find what we need for one in the large parlor. There are also lights for the outside; maybe we can decorate the front door."

"Stefan, is there a Crèche?" Maria asked."

"Yes, there are several of those too. I found one which must have been used outside; it's huge. I'm sure I can find the perfect one to use inside, Maria."

"That's good; it was a special part of my Christmas celebrations; after all it depicts the true meaning Christmas."

"Maria is correct. I want this Christmas to dwell on it and your singing, children. It will make God smile on our celebration."

"Captain, after Phillip and I complete our chores, we will start gathering all our Christmas decorations. We already have the perfect tree picked out."

Katia added. "I'll be sure to have on hand everything I need for all the baking I will do and then plan the Christmas Eve meal."

With a plan in place, the family set out to prepare for a joy filled Christmas.


	7. Christmas Preparation

Christmas Preparation

The two men, Stefan and Phillip, began the family's preparation for Christmas. Each day they would come to the store room on the third floor after their normal chores were done. Strings of lights needed to be inspected to be sure they lit up. They sorted through boxes of glass ornaments and picked out the ones to use. They also discovered a beautiful, hand-painted crèche which was the perfect size to place in a corner of the big parlor.

The captain had already seen the Christkindle Marketplace in Vienna; it had been readied since the beginning of November. Now all the vendors staffed their booths from early morning to late at night.

He had a decision to make. He knew the future was bleak for him and his family remaining in Austria; he wanted the children to have only those things they could take with them. He decided to consult with Maria.

Once again he invited her to join him in his study. He began the conversation. "Maria, you asked me not long ago, if I would be in danger when the Germans took over. I still don't think I will be in danger if I keep a step ahead of them.

"Maria, I don't like burdening you with this knowledge; you need to know what the future will hold. Like your friend Annie's parents, there will be a time all of us will need to leave Austria."

Maria gasped and clutched her stomach as if it had been struck. It was a few seconds before she was able to speak.

"Captain, ever since I received Annie's letter, I have had that same terrible thought. It's a shock to know it was true. And then you told us we would focus on the true meaning of Christmas and the children's singing, I sensed there was a reason behind it."

"I know I did. But I still want the children to have few presents."

Maria quickly added. "Things they could easily take with them."

"Are you a mind reader? That's exactly my plan. Do you have ideas?'

"I want your children to give gifts too. I'm going to turn the nursery into a workshop. I will need to think of items they can make that are portable. And I will be spending time in your sewing room after the children go to bed. I know I can make each of the girls a new dress but you are going to need to help me with the boys. I think it time for Friedrich to wear long pants and Kurt should have knicker length pants to wear with dark color knee-high socks."

"I should have known you would have plans. And yes, I can help with the boys. I do want Gretl to have a doll; something like Marta's."

"Maybe you could find a small Raggedy Ann doll. On my first day here, I saw her listening to Marta reading a Raggedy Ann and Andy story. I could tell she really enjoyed the story."

"That I can do, too. Do you have an idea for Marta?"

"Not yet, I need to put on my thinking cap. I'm sure I'll come up with something."

"Very well, and Maria if you ever need to talk, I will always listen. I know what I told you isn't pleasant."

"Thank you, I'll remember. We better get some sleep."

"Yes, we should. I'm sure the children will be raring to go tomorrow; they're already excited about our celebration. Good night, Maria."

"Good night, captain." He watched Maria walk away as his mind held a thought. For a young woman she has remarkable maturity. I'm so glad she came into our lives.

In the morning the children's jibber-jabber was all about Christmas. The captain entered with a smile which filled his face.

"I share your excitement children. We have many days to get ready for our celebrations. I'm sure your Fräulein still has lessons planned for you."

Kurt responded to his papa. "Yes, we know she does."

"And children, I have some lessons which use Christmas ideas. I think you will enjoy them."

"Fräulein Maria, how did you learn to be so creative?"

"Brigitta, I had a fifth grade teacher who was. Fifth grade has subject matter which can be difficult; she had all kinds of ideas to help us master it. And I also had a very good professor last semester who taught me other ideas."

"Hey everyone, let's finish eating so we can begin our lessons."

They took Brigitta's suggestion. They quickly finished eating and left the dining room. Maria began to follow but not before she saw a wink from the captain. Now what was that for, she thought as she held a broad smile.

The captain smiled as well; he knew he had to; otherwise his thoughts would turn sour. He hadn't told them he was going to meet Erwin this morning; they weren't having lunch together. He did tell Katia where he was going.

The two men strolled to the Christkindle Marketplace. Their walk took them by a men's store. The window display had exactly what the captain needed to buy for the boys. He stored it in his memory bank. And in the marketplace, he saw a booth whose display was filled with all things Raggedy Ann and Andy. He remembered that too.

He and Erwin purchased a cup of mulled-orange tea. They found a private place to sit and talk.

"I'm so glad to hear you are celebrating Christmas this year. And yes, I accept your invitation."

"Good, I've asked Sidney to come. Now I need to contact James. The children want to see them again; it's been a long time."

The captain did not tell Erwin the news he had shared with Maria; he saw no need. Soon it was time to depart. Erwin had a meeting with other concerned Austrians. The captain wanted to be home before lunch.

He had been home a few minutes when he heard his excited children. All of them were talking about their lessons. From Louisa he heard this general statement.

"All of us were surprised at all the creative ways Fräulein Maria used Christmas ideas in our lessons."

And others told him about specific lessons. From Kurt he heard. "She used descriptive Christmas words in our math word problems like; there were six red balls, ten little angels and twenty Christmas bulbs on the tree. Even Marta was able to add them together."

And from Gretl, "I was able to put a long list of Christmas words in alphabetical order."

And so it went; every child had something to comment on. Each day their papa would hear more as the days of November melted away. By now the captain could tell them that all their uncles would come for the big day. Even Erwin would stay at the castle.

Maria had each child complete a comprehensive examination before she concluded lessons for the year. When she graded them that evening, she wasn't at all surprised they had done very well.

The next morning at breakfast she was asked. "Fräulein Maria, have you graded our examination papers?"

"I have Kurt. I'm happy to announce, each of you did very well. We can now begin to get ready for Christmas. I'll tell you all about it in the classroom."

The children had finished eating; they scampered away. For a few minutes the captain and Maria were alone. It was Maria's turn to give the captain a wink. She didn't give him time to respond. She immediately left the dining room. He never saw her full smile. Nor did she see his.

He left the dining room to retrieve his coat from the coat stand in his study. He was going to the city to meet up with Erwin and check the post office for his mail.

Meanwhile, the children had assembled in the classroom. They were waiting with bated-breath for their Fräulein. They were anxious to hear how they would get ready for Christmas.

When Maria joined them she began with a question. "Children what did the Three Wise Men bring with them when they saw the Baby Jesus?"

She heard an almost unison response. "They brought gifts."

"That's correct. Liesl told me about celebrating Christmas with your grandmother and that you did receive gifts. Gift giving has become a big part of the celebration; which is fine as long as we remember the Christmas story. This year I want you to make gifts for each other, your papa and the others who live with us. You can work together for the gifts for the adults and you will draw names for your siblings."

"I love that idea, Fräulein. And I'm sure my brothers and sisters do too." Liesl exclaimed.

"I'm glad. First, we need to prepare the nursery room; it will become our own Christkindle workshop."

They immediately stood. Louisa asked. "What can we do to help?"

Maria was prepared. "Let's go to the nursery and get started."

"Liesl, here's a piece of oil cloth I found in one of the cabinets. You and Friedrich can cover the table with it. You'll need to press on it rather hard to get rid of all the wrinkles."

They eagerly took it from her and began their task. Maria continued. "The rest of you need to gather, colored pencils, crayons, scissors, white writing paper and your stacks of colored paper and bring them to the nursery."

Maria had already brought other supplies there. She explained to the children. "Children, one day I needed a needle and thread to repair my loose dress hem. I went up to the sewing room. Not only did I find my needle and thread, I discovered other things.

"I found these tools for working on leather as well as some leather pieces you might be able to use. I also brought down an assortment of large fabric scraps and an assortment of embroidery threads. Some of the fabric can be used for doing cross-stitch; other pieces of fabric are heavier to use for needle-point. I can teach you how to do both; it isn't difficult."

"Fräulein, you're so talented. You not only have creative ways to teach; you know so many other things."

"Thank you, Brigitta; you know I grew up on a farm. My aunt taught me those skills. Now, I have strips of paper with your names on them in this bowl. One at a time I want you to come forward and take one. Remember to keep it a secret."

They did as she had asked. "Now, I know you will need time think of a gift for your sibling. We still have many days before Christmas. You can begin on your gifts for all the adults. Let's have a thinking session."

Maria tried to subtly guide them in their choices. She wanted them to be able to be able to bring with them when that dreadful time of leaving came; a thought which brought on that heavy feeling in her stomach.

After a few minutes, they had ideas. For Katia they had decided on a fancy apron; it would have embroidered flowers. Kurt and Friedrich wanted to make a small suit-pocket portfolio out of leather for their papa.

Maria allowed them to begin on those items while they thought about a gift for Stefan and Phillip. They did come up with an idea for them. Louisa had the suggestion.

"All men need handkerchiefs; I'm sure they carry one when they do their work. What if we use a dark fabric and embroider their name on it?"

"Good idea," she heard from the others. Maria would help them add some manly details. They soon turned their attention to their sibling's gift. Maria continued to offer subtle suggestions. And late at night she was in the sewing room sewing the girls' dresses.

And Maria had thought of a gift for Marta. Once again she found the captain in his study early one morning. He greeted her with a full smile and, "good morning, Maria."

"I have an idea for a gift for Marta. You could buy her a paper doll kit. I've seen her playing with her doll; she's always changing her clothes."

"Excellent, Maria. I'll check the toy booths the next time I go to the city. It's time for me to do all my shopping. I so wish we could all visit the marketplace. But it's not the wise thing to do."

"I understand, sir. And I'm almost finished with the girls' dresses."

"So soon?"

"Using a sewing machine makes it so much faster; all I have to do now is put in the hems and sew on the buttons."

Soon they both heard distant voices from the children. Maria hurried to meet up with them; she didn't want to be seen talking with the captain. She knew it might bring a question from Brigitta.

The next few days found the children scattered about the residence; they were working on their sibling's gift. Maria knew where they were and checked on them frequently to see if they needed any help.

The children didn't snoop on the others. When the nursery door was shut, it was a sign one of them was in there. They waited their turn. It was now two weeks before Christmas.

A few days later after lunch was over, Stefan announced that he and Phillip had assembled everything they needed to decorate the front door. He asked.

"Children, are you ready to help us?"

They didn't hesitate with their "yesses."

"We'll meet you out front."

The children needed their capes from their rooms after all it was December; the temperature hovered in the thirties. They didn't take long and soon were all outside. Maria was with them. They found the two men holding a garland they had made from fir tree branches.

Kurt spoke up. "What do we do first, Stefan?"

"We need to attach the garland to the doorframe over the door. Do you see those small nails?"

"We do." Kurt and Friedrich answered.

"We use them to wrap these pieces of twine which I have already attached to the garland."

"We can do that." And Louisa added. "I can help too."

"Very well, I'll supervise."

Meanwhile Liesl and the three girls were looking through the box of decoration. "These red and gold balls are so beautiful." Gretl told them.

"And I think these little red birds are pretty too."

"They are Brigitta."

After the first garland was attached, two other garlands hung down the side of the door. Stefan secured them. Again pieces of twine were wrapped around a couple of nails to keep them from blowing in the wind.

Now it was time for the lights to be attached. Stefan and Phillip did that job; one had to be careful not to twist the electrical wire. And finally it was time for the finishing touch; the red and gold balls and the red birds were added.

The sun was setting when they finished. Maria, Katia and the captain were there to see the completed project. The two men had replaced one of the sockets for the outdoor light bulb with a device for the tree's lights to be plugged into. Everyone stood a distance from the door as Stefan flipped the switch.

They "oohed and aahed" at the beauty of the door. "Now we have a festive door to welcome our guests to our home this Christmas." The captain said with great joy in his voice.

And Stefan added. "And our tree will be just as beautiful; you'll see."

Everyone knew it would be put up closer to Christmas or else it would wither before Christmas came. There was now one week before their guests would arrive. Maria had many ideas to keep them busy so the days would pass quickly.

One morning they woke to snow on the ground. They had had snow showers; but it had quickly become sleet, a wetness which chilled one to the bone if they got caught in it. The sun came out and quickly melted it away.

Today's snow was a friendly snow; it was soft and fluffy. They took the opportunity to play in it; both adults and children played. The snow made soft snowballs. Even the little girls didn't mind being hit. They even returned after lunch. Later that day Phillip started a fire in the fireplace in the large parlor.

The family pretended it was a campfire. Their papa had Christmas sailor stories to tell. The children also used this time to practice their Christmas carols.

Their singing always brought this remark from their papa. "I'm still amazed at your talent. Your uncles are going to be surprised."

Phillip had let the fire burn down to embers; it was a signal it was bedtime. Tonight the children did moan and groan about going to bed. Their papa reassured them.

"We can do this again; it was fun for all of us." They smiled and retreated to the stairs. Katia went up with them; she had baking to do in the morning. Maria purposely stayed behind until it was only she and the captain remaining. He was perceptive and asked.

"Maria, do you have a question for me?"

"You read my mind; I do. My family always had a Christmas devotional on Christmas Eve. Our church wasn't close by; we hardly ever attended church during the winter months."

The captain responded before she finished. "So, you're asking permission to do the same. The answer is a resounding yes."

Maria didn't respond immediately; she was fixated on the captain's eyes. Curiously she asked. "Captain, why do your eyes have a noticeable sparkle in them?"

"It's what happens when someone or something gives one enormous pleasure. You my dear are the most delightful, charming woman I have ever known."

"Captain, I appreciate your complements but aren't you immensely exaggerating?"

"I don't think so, Maria. From the moment you set foot in this home, you brought a_ joy de vive _which has totally taken over it." He saw a shy smile appear as she looked down. "Don't be ashamed; I totally believe you have gifts which are God given."

Maria's face held a pale blush. "Yes. God does bestow gifts on us; each needs to discover them and use them properly."

The captain had the last word. "And I know you have."

Maria's blush became red cheeks; she turned to leave before he saw her face. She left with a backward wave of her hand and the words, "good night, Captain," spoken with joy in her voice and an enormous smile on her face. The captain, if he had responded would have spoken as joyfully.

The next day during breakfast, the captain listened to Maria explain her idea. He had to interject. "Children, don't you think that is a spectacular idea?"

Maria's thought was; there he goes again with all those superlative adjectives. She wanted to call him out; but she refrained. She addressed the children.

"You will help me pick out our readings from the Bible; we'll write a prayer together and of course select the carols to sing."

Then she looked directly at the Captain. Her voice didn't show her emotions as she spoke. "Captain, my uncle always read the Gospel reading. Will you read it for our devotional?"

The captain wasn't about to plant any seed in Brigitta's mind; his answer was direct; his voice was normal. "Yes Maria, it will be my privilege."

"Thank you, Captain; children, let's go to the school room to write out our devotional."

Maria and his children left; the captain did likewise. No one could detect his immense happiness. He stayed in his study while his children and Maria planned their Christmas devotional.


	8. Christmas Celebration

Christmas Celebration

The children really were eager to help Maria plan a Christmas devotional. They hurried upstairs to the school room. Once they were seated, Liesl made a comment.

"I agree with Papa. It is a spectacular idea. We should remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. After all it is the Birthday of Jesus."

Maria couldn't help but think, there's that word again. She was smiling as she spoke.

"Yes, we are celebrating Jesus' birth. I heard a phase once. It goes like this. _Jesus is the reason for the season._ Without Him there would be no celebration. Now let's get started.

"I think for our first song we should sing, _O Come, O Come, Emanuel._ We'll use only the first verse; we'll sing it twice. On the second time, Liesl and Louisa will add the harmony."

The children agreed. They proceeded to select Bible verses which one of them would recite from memory. They helped compose a prayer using suggestions from Maria. She found a poem for Brigitta to recite.

"And children, I'll tell your papa we've selected the Gospel reading from St. Luke for him to read. Our final song will be _Away in the Manager."_

Gretl smiled and said. "I love that song."

"I know you do. We'll practice our devotional a couple of times before our guests arrive."

The busy time of preparation had taken the family closer to the all-important day. It was now exactly seven days until December twenty-fifth; but for Austrian children it was the day before, Christmas Eve, which was the day of celebration.

Maria remembered her childhood; those six days seemed to go by slowly. She was now older and wiser; she knew that keeping busy would help the days go by seemingly faster.

Today was Thursday; their company would arrive on Sunday afternoon. She knew that once they arrived, their presence would occupy the children. That left three days for Maria to make plans for staying busy.

On the morning of the eighteenth of December, Kurt came running into the dining room. "We're having a blizzard. I heard the wind. Let's go check it out from the sunroom."

His enthusiasm had everyone following him. Although the sunroom was very cold, they entered it. All they saw out the windows was heavy white snow being blown against the windows. They could even hear the wind whistling through the cracks around them. They didn't stay long; they hurried back to the dining room to get warm. Stefan had already added extra coal to the room's cast-iron heater.

Phillip appeared with an immediate comment. "I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. It's been a while since we had a blizzard. I'm glad I had the foresight to place my snowshoes and skiing poles on the porch outside the kitchen. It was brutal out there Captain."

"Did our cows still give up their milk?"

"They did, sir. I loosened a lot more hay for them to lie in. I also made sure the barn door was securely shut. If it were to be blown opened by the wind, they wouldn't have enough sense to stay inside."

The end of his comment brought a chuckle from Maria. "The cows on my farm were like that. I remember hearing my uncle telling my aunt all about our wandering cows, especially during thunderstorms."

Kurt had a realization. "We're going to be stuck inside all day. Fräulein Maria, do you have any ideas to help us stay busy?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I found a large soft ball we could use to play a game of kickball in the Great Hall and then maybe a game of freeze tag. Later you could draw and color pictures of symbols of Christmas. We could decorate the empty wall in the dining room with them."

"Sounds like a plan, Maria. I'll join my children for kick-ball. You already know my sentiments about art. I'll walk around and offer encouragement."

"You and I both will observe their creations. Now let's run off all this food we ate for breakfast. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

The morning was occupied with games; kick-ball and freeze tag gave way to relay races and leap-frog. It was soon time for lunch. Even though reading time had been officially cancelled, the older five each had a book they wished to finish. Even Marta and Gretl used the time to read.

Maria used the time to collect their supplies for drawing and coloring. The children and the captain joined her in the classroom after lunch. They each observed drawings of the manager scene, the angel with the shepherds, another drew Mary on the donkey and another a picture of the Wise Men. Some drew more than one.

Maria then took strips of colored paper and made frames for them. The captain hung them from an empty plate display shelf in the dining room.

Katia was the observer. "My, these are very good, children. I believe they will draw rave reviews from our guests. Tomorrow you can help me decorate cookies."

"Can we really?"

"Of course you can. Just promise me you won't eat too much icing." Her statement made them all laugh.

That evening they played Christmas charades. Everyone was surprised Maria had thought up so many which related to Christmas. The captain didn't embarrass her with his own complement.

The next morning, right after breakfast, the children followed Katia to the kitchen. Liesl and Louisa helped her dry the breakfast dishes. Even they were anxious to help with the cookies; something even they had never done before.

Katia had a large number of cookies already baked. She also had prepared a sugar frosting and had red and green colored sugar to sprinkle on the frosting before the top was dry.

Friedrich directed his siblings. "Let's make an assembly line; four of us can spread the cookies with frosting. The others can sprinkle them with the red and green sugar."

The five dozen cookies were decorated quickly. Katia was prepared. "Children, I have more cookie dough made. Once I roll it out, you can use the cookie cutters. I have a star, a bell, a fir tree and a round one which represents a tree decoration."

Maria had stayed in the background. She was immersed in watching them have so much fun, she didn't know the captain had come in until he spoke.

"My, you have been busy. How many have you eaten?"

Katia came to their defense. "Not a single one, captain. I know it's lunch time, sir. I already have the soup heating and the sandwiches are already prepared. As soon as they finish, we can eat."

"Very well, I grab a cup of coffee and wait for everyone in the dining room."

Maria joined him. "Did you help the children?"

"No sir, I let them have all the fun."

It was only a few minutes later when everyone gathered in the dining room. Brigitta announced. "After lunch, we're going to build a gingerbread house."

Katia, once again had all the supplies waiting for them. Both Maria and the captain watched them assemble the house. Each piece was glued together with a thick kind of frosting. They watched them decorate it using red and green gumdrops.

They stood admiring their creation. Katia told them. "I'm not going to move it until I'm sure it's dry. Then I will place it on one of the buffet tables in the dining room for our guests to enjoy."

Another day ended after more games in the Great Hall and singing around another pretend campfire.

When Saturday came, the children occupied themselves for most of the day. At the peak of sunshine the captain, Maria and all the children took a walk together. Phillip showed them the fir tree he had chosen to be their Christmas tree.

Maria questioned him. "This is mighty big. Are you sure it will fit through the front door?"

"I'm confident it will, Maria. I do know it will take all the men to carry it."

And from the captain, he heard. "I'm sure the children's uncles will be more than willing to help us."

The sun had almost set by the time they returned to the house. Another day ended with a game of Christmas charades. The children loved the game; they loved to laugh. The captain was glad; he was able to keep his thoughts hidden.

On Sunday morning they practiced their devotional again. Each child had memorized their part; for some it was a short verse of scripture, for others it was a poem or a prayer. Even the captain read the gospel. And of course they sang all the carols in the order they would be used.

It was now after lunch. They hung around the Great Hall waiting for their guests. The captain noted the time. "Their train arrived ten minutes ago; they should be in their cars soon."

"Can we wait outside, Papa?"

"You most certainly can; go get your capes."

Maria and the children hurried to their rooms; they returned in a jiffy. They immediately joined their papa who was already outside along with the men. Katia was in the kitchen preparing more food than usual for afternoon tea.

The children walked to the far end of the walkway. They could see the road leading to the castle. Kurt yelled loud enough for the adults to hear.

"They're coming."

They knew to return to where their papa was standing. The cars would pull into the circle and park. The drivers had seen them; they both slowed their approach. They parked. Immediately. Sidney and Erwin emerged from their car.

The captain went to the passenger side of the one he knew carried James Lewis and his family. He opened the car's door and offered his hand to the female passenger.

She had an opening remark. "You really do live in a castle. I thought James was telling me a fish story."

"Like the time he and I went fishing and he exaggerated the size of the fish he caught."

The two had a good laugh before they hugged. "It's good to see you, Georg. It's been too long."

"Yes, my children reminded me of that fact."

By now, everyone was out of the cars. The children had surrounded the Lewis's two children, Michael and Martha. Friedrich and Liesl were conversing with them.

Maria had been a silent observer. Sidney saw her first; he knew all about her, except her name. Georg saw him walk towards her. He was there for the introduction.

"Sidney, please meet Maria, the children's governess and teacher."

He was like Stefan. He immediately reached for her hand and gave it a greeting kiss. Maria had expected it.

"Pleased to meet you, Sidney. The children have been looking forward to your visit for weeks."

As soon as she had spoken, Marta and Gretl appeared by her side. Sidney liked to tease. "Now, who are these pretty little girls? They can't be Marta and Gretl; you're both too tall."

"I'm going to be six soon, Uncle Sidney."

"Is that right, Gretl? Come give your uncle a big hug." He stooped down so she could put her arms around his neck. He held her close and stood. Then he twirled her around twice before setting her feet on the ground. And then did the same to Marta; she squealed.

Georg was near-by; James' wife was holding his arm. "Maria, I want you to meet Carol. She didn't believe James that I lived in a castle."

"Hello, I was surprised too when my friend Helena told me. Once you get comfortable in it; it becomes a very nice home."

"Walk with me inside. I see Friedrich has your husband occupied."

"I understand you are a teacher."

"Yes, to my surprise, teaching the captain's children fulfills my student teaching requirement. It will complete my course of study. This room is called the Great Hall. The children use it to play all kinds of games. We can put our capes over on that bench. I'll show you around the first floor."

Maria's tour ended in the kitchen. The two ladies knew each other; they hugged. "Did you have lunch on the train?"

"It was more a snack than a full lunch, Katia."

"I planned accordingly; we'll have a more filling tea time around three."

"Perfect."

Carol turned as she heard. "There you are; Georg will you properly introduce this charming young lady."

Maria heard that. He's just like the captain; I must control my response.

"James, this is Maria, the children's governess and teacher. An exceptionally good teacher I must add."

Did you need to say that? Maria thought, as James did as Sidney had. He kissed her hand. Then he put her hand on his arm. "Come walk with me and tell me how did you put a smile back on my good friend's face?"

"James, I can offer you no explanation except a belief it was all according to God's plan."

A voice caused them both to turn. "Dad, we're going to our rooms now."

"Thank you, Michael. Maria, I'm sure his salutation for me is odd. He had the American ambassador's son in his class this year. He decided he liked it and my wife is mom."

"I read an American novel recently; the author used those words."

Liesl interrupted. "Pardon Fräulein, we're taking our guests to their rooms. I understand Katia will have tea time soon."

"Yes, you are correct."

"Then we better go freshen up too, Fräulein."

It was in the tea room where Maria was properly introduced to Erwin. Maria, once again had her hand kissed.

Afternoon tea was filling. Katia had made many varieties of small sandwiches, some with meat and others with cheese. Cookies and pasties were bountiful. The coffee and the tea were hot. The children had juice.

They sat there and conversed long after they had finished eating. The captain took everyone on a tour of the castle. At dinner time, Carol was first to comment.

"Children, your pictures add a Christmas flavor to the dining room. And the Gingerbread house fills the room with my favorite Christmas fragrance." The children smiled.

When dinner was over, they congregated in the big parlor. Several more chairs had been placed there; everyone had a seat. The group didn't play charades that evening; they would on another night. It had been a long day for the guests; everyone dispersed to their bedroom earlier than usual.

On Monday, the guests saw exactly how the Great Hall was used for playing games. They also heard the children sing the _Do-Re-Mi_ song. Sidney commented.

"Georg, you never told me the children could sing. They sound like a professional choir."

"I must give all the credit to Maria. She convinced me that music really was a required subject. I'm amazed as everyone is; they must have gotten Agathe's talent."

"Now, Captain, you know perfectly well they got some of their talent from you."

"Fräulein Maria is right, Papa. All of us children have heard your fine baritone voice."

"Yes, I know you have. I still believe most of your talent came from your mama."

Carol had noted both Georg and Maria's faces during this exchange. Their demeanor told her they had become very good friends.

Maria decided to change the subject. She had seen Carol look from Georg to her. "Everyone, I think it's time to get some fresh air." Everyone thought it was an excellent idea; they left to obtain their capes or coats.

The group took a walk to the forest. There they watched Stefan and Phillip cut down their Christmas tree. The men all helped lug it back to the castle. It was placed in a storage shed where Stefan and Phillip would attach wood to make a stand. Phillip had even thought of a way to have the trunk in a container of water. He hoped it would prevent it from losing its needles so fast.

That evening the group played a rousing game of charades. It was late when they said goodnight.

The next morning all the men helped bring the Christmas tree into the castle. Everyone gathered to watch. It was a tight fit but they were able to bring it in the front door and then get it through the door of the big parlor.

The first chore of the decorating was placing the large number of strings of lights. At first everyone stayed and watched; the children grew restless and went to the Great Hall to play games. No one was in the parlor when Stefan tested the lights. He saw they all had lit up and quickly turned them off. It took them the rest of the day to place all the glass ornaments.

They still used the parlor that evening. No one paid much attention to the tree; it wasn't beautiful and glowing. The children were almost eager to go to bed that night. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve.

The children woke with eager anticipation. They were in the dining before their guests. They chatted among themselves as they waited for the others to join them.

When Maria saw them, she exclaimed. "How long have you been sitting here?"

It was Katia who answered. "They've been here since the sun rose. I think they're anxious for the day to pass."

"We are." Maria heard from Kurt.

"You need to know. I did the same when I was younger. I would usually help my aunt in the kitchen."

In moments, each chair around the table was occupied. No one ate in a hurry nor did they leave the dining room when they had finished. They lingered and talked until Kurt spoke.

"Let's play some games to pass the time."

The adults sat in one of the smaller parlors. Maria decided to let the friends talk together; she monitored the children's games. Lunch time was filled with those foods usually served at tea time. Dinner that day would be served early, around four o'clock.

The sun was shining that afternoon; it made for an enjoyable afternoon to take a long walk. The group had arrived home early enough to change their clothes before dinner was served.

Both the captain and Maria noticed the children were eating much faster than usual; there was very little conversation. They exchanged smiles; the both knew the children's intent. The other adults knew too.

They had finished the meal; dessert would be later after their gifts were opened. The captain noted the fact everyone had laid down their forks. He stood.

"My children have a surprise for you. Please join us at the foot of the stairs. Children, you and your Fräulein can leave first to get ready."

Their guests were whispering to each other. "I can't imagine what they have planned." They made their way to the Great Hall. There they saw the children standing on the stairs. The three oldest were in the back; on the first stair were the other four. They began to sing the opening song for their devotional, _O Come, O Come Emanuel._

Maria was standing so she could see their faces. They lit up with their smiles. Gretl said the first words. "God so loved the world He sent his Son to us."

Louisa added. "To be the Savior for the world."

And Friedrich offered this prayer. "We pray that His presence will fill our hearts with joy."

The children immediately began the carol, _Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee._ Maria encouraged all to join them. They sang only the first two verses. On the second, the children demonstrated their ability to sing with harmony. Their papa was very pleased. He was also ready to read the Gospel. Everyone heard Kurt.

"And now my papa will read from the Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter two, verses eight through eighteen."

The captain came and stood in front of his children. He held his Bible high. He began to read. "There were shepherds who abided in the region… They saw and heard an angel speak to them… They announced that in David's town a Savior was born. You will find Him in a manger….They left for Bethlehem and found the baby lying in a manager. And Mary remembered their amazing story. Here endeth the reading from the Gospel."

Marta spoke. "Please sing _Away in a Manager,_ with us."

At its conclusion Brigitta recited a poem.

"Mary brave and fair  
>rode a donkey long and far.<br>God's chosen maiden accepted  
>her call to serve her Lord.<p>

Mild and noble Joseph  
>comforted his laboring wife.<br>'Do not despair dear,  
>all is well with me.'<p>

Mary broke out into song  
>that golden night.<br>'Baby, my baby, O my babe.'

Angels lead shepherds, shepherds lead sheep;  
>in silence they came, still the baby woke.<br>The meek and the lowly of the world  
>had come to see the maiden's babe.<p>

Suddenly a flaming star appeared  
>for all to see,<br>It led many from far and near to the  
>baby sleeping in the manager."<p>

When Brigitta finished, Liesl began.

"Let us pray.

"Mary was full of grace; may we accept God's grace.  
>Joseph loved Mary and their newborn baby; may we love others as much.<br>The angels sang a song of joy; may we be joy filled.  
>The shepherds are the people of the world: may we care for the weak and the downtrodden."<p>

"And may the star of old continue to be our guide through good times and bad; and may we always sing the song of the angel's announcement on that glorious night when the Son of God was born.

"We do pray, Amen."

Everyone took a deep breath and responded with an enthusiastic, _AMEN._ The captain knew it was his turn to speak.

"Everyone knows the tradition. Join me in singing, _Silent Night,_ as we walk to the large parlor."

The captain led them on a slow walk. Stefan had hurried away to turn on the tree lights. He and Phillip and Maria had placed all the gifts around the tree before the house was awake. Maria had placed the Baby Jesus in the manager.

Again the captain spoke. "Merry Christmas everyone." The phrase was echoed by the others. The captain reached for the door knob in slow motion.

"Can't you hurry Papa?" He heard from his youngest daughter.

"Aright Gretl, I'll stop teasing." He opened the door.

Now Gretl and Marta moved in slow motion as they were captivated by the beauty of their tree. "It's the most beautiful tree in the world."

They stepped away from the door for the others to enter. They too had descriptive words to say. "Go ahead children, find you gifts."

Kurt wasn't shy. He went and sat by the tree and distributed the gifts. No one kept a list as they were opened but each child thanked the giver. Gretl had this to say when she saw the Raggedy Ann doll. "Now I have a doll I can take with me everywhere."

And Marta's words were similar. "And I have a doll and their clothes I can play with in the car."

Even the boys appreciated their clothes and the girls were astonished that Maria had made their dresses. They each spoke about the pretty embroidery she had done either on the collar or the bodice.

Maria also made handkerchiefs for the other men and a lovely one for Carol with crocheted lace around the edges.

Carol had brought gifts for her children. They were also surprised to receive a handkerchief with their name embroidered on it. Katia donned her new apron and happily announced that dessert would be ready shortly.

The family indulged in those cookies which the children had helped make and decorated. Katia even had some gingerbread men cookies which the children had never had. Even Marta and Gretl raved about their flavor.

Back in the parlor, the entire group sang every Christmas carol they knew. It was a glorious end to their Christmas celebration.


	9. The New Year Begins

The New Year Begins

The Friday after Christmas was much quieter than yesterday had been. It had snowed during the night. All the children played outside most of the day. Together they built one enormous snowman. Stefan and Phillip supplied them with his decorations; a tall top hat with a brim, a colorful scarf, pieces of coal for his eyes and mouth and the all-important carrot for his nose.

The adults talked among themselves; there was no stopping the conversation from becoming a discussion of the future. Maria soon learned that all of them dreaded the day the Germans took over Austria. No one went into details about their plans. They immediately changed their demeanor once the children came in to stay.

Early the next morning Sidney found Georg in his study. Both men had maintained their habit of waking early. The two good friends greeted each other. Sidney began the conversation.

"Before I left to come here, I made a decision. My lodge had been over-run with Germans. Georg, I'm not going back. I provided compensation for my employees and deeded the property to the local seminary. Once the Germans have no one to provide for them, they will stop coming. Before I left, I shipped a trunk with the remainder of my belongings here. I will be staying with Erwin. I think we both know the Germans are unpredictable; things may change rapidly."

"I agree with you. I won't share this information. It would raise too many questions."

The two men had ended their conversation long before the rest of the house woke. When the children woke, they were still singing Christmas carols. They would sing them even in January. As the day which celebrated the arrival of the Three Wise Men approached, they would sing songs about them.

Their company was long gone when that day arrived. The children had been sad that day. Their papa reassured them. "I promise I won't wait very long to invite them to visit again."

Even though he had spoken those words, he had doubts about being able to keep his promise.

At the children's urging, Maria had begun school time. She had heard. "We're bored, Fräulein. Do you have lessons planned for us?"

"You know I do. I was always anxious for school to begin after the holidays. I didn't have a resident teacher; I had to wait a whole week before my school began again. My aunt had used some of that time to teach me how to sew."

"Can we begin today?"

"Let me get my book of lesson plans and I'll meet you in the classroom."

All the children were ready to focus on their lessons. They were so engaged they stayed past lunch time. Almost every day their papa would come to the door and say these same words. "It's lunch time, children."

And he would hear. "Our Fräulein has such interesting lessons; we don't pay any attention to the time." Their papa would smile as he thought. She really is an extraordinary young woman.

As their lessons had begun, so did the snows of January. Bright sunny days were few and far between. On those days, the children did play outside in the afternoon.

Some days, the boys along with their papa and the two men would engage in what was called, snowball war. On other days they would build a snow brick fort. The girls stayed near the house and built many snowmen during month.

All this activity along with the three hours of lessons every day had caused the month of January to disappear. February was kinder and gentler. The snow still came but not in abundance.

It was one day when most of it had melted did Maria decide to take the children on a walk. The group was carefree and happy. They sang the funny sailor songs their papa had taught them last year.

They arrived home near the back of the residence to find four young men looking at the castle. Maria wasn't frightened; she was suspicious. She walked towards them.

"Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, and we found her. You Fräulein are coming with us." They had surrounded her.

Maria's motherly instincts kicked in. "Children, go inside, quickly; run children."

"That's right kids, go to your papa. Tell him we have his mistress."

Liesl and Friedrich both heard the word mistress and screamed at their siblings. "Hurry, hurry inside."

This scene had a witness. Stefan was hiding behind a low wall. He was able to sneak away and ran to the front door. He heard the children as he entered.

"Papa, some young men have Maria. You need to go to her."

"Children, he can't."

"Why?" Stefan heard.

"He's right children. I promise you she'll be rescued. Please don't cry. Stefan, where are they?"

"Out back, I'm sure we can see them from the third floor."

Katia had heard the commotion and joined the children. They took seats in the big parlor. They waited. Marta and Gretl tied to choke back their tears. Katia invited them to come sit with her on one of the settees. She put her arm around them and pulled them close. She knew who it wasn't Maria these young boys wanted; it was the captain.

The two men ran up the two flights of stairs; they exited on to a balcony. They could hear Maria talking to them.

"Your Captain has quite an imagination. Do you think the captain of this house would fall for one of the oldest tricks in the world? Of course none of you are smart enough to know that."

"How dare you suggest we're not learned?"

"I doubt any of you has completed secondary school. It's your last year when you learn to apply common sense."

"That does it," the leader of the group said. "You're coming with us. I want our captain to hear your lies."

"Sure, I want to tell him his misguided thoughts. Follow me; I'll lead you off the property."

Up on the balcony the two startled men looked at each other. "What's she doing, captain?"

"I don't know Stefan; let's follow them."

"They ran down the stairs and out the front door and around the house. There they caught sight of them walking in the opposite direction of Vienna. They followed at a distance.

Stefan whispered, "She headed for the cemetery."

They got closer. They were still not close enough to be seen; but they could hear.

"This is a cemetery."

"Yes, that's correct." They heard Maria boldly announce. "We must take the path though the tombstones to the other side."

One of the young men addressed the supposed leader. "I'm not going in there, Rolf. I was told to never disturb the bodies' spirits."

Then the other two agreed and all of them ran away. Before the lad named Rolf joined them, he shouted. "Captain Zeller will track you and your captain down."

As soon as they were out of sight, Maria kerplunked on a near-by bench; not from fear but because she was laughing so hard. Georg and Stefan ran to her.

"Are you okay, Maria?"

"I'm fine, Captain."

"How did you know the cemetery would chase them away?"

"I took a chance, sir. I had heard that many men are deathly afraid of cemeteries. I had the notion that these boys' leader was like that and passed his misguided fear to them."

"We need to hurry inside; there are seven children in tears."

"I know they are. Did they tell you I was called your mistress?"

"No, Maria, but it doesn't surprise me. Heimlich Zeller has a loose tongue; he's prone to spreading gossip, rumors and slander. He's worse than a bunch cackling ladies in their parlor room."

They found the children and Katia in the big parlor; they had stopped crying. The captain was immediately asked. "Who were those boys?"

He had to think fast. He knew he couldn't be dishonest; neither did he want to tell them all he knew. He began this way.

"Do you remember the day I sat in on your lesson about the Great War?" He saw seven heads nod. "Your Fräulein ended her lesson explaining to you the contents of the treaty which was signed which punished some countries and rewarded others."

Louisa spoke up. "Yes, she explained how Austria's naval base was given to Italy."

"And my children, you know how that affected me."

He heard sad mumbles. "Yes we do know."

He went on to explain. "Another country, Germany, thought it had received unjust punishment for its role in the war. One such demand of the treaty was the fact that Germany could never have an army or navy again.

"A man named Adolph Hitler now rules Germany; he has defied the terms of the treaty. He has begun to rebuild both the army and the navy. And he has recruited many young men to join the ranks of his youth army. He even has sympathizers living in Austria who have recruited young Austrian boys to be members."

"Were those boys members of that youth army?"

"Yes, Kurt, they were."

"Will they try again, Papa?"

"Most likely, Brigitta, but do not worry. Uncle Erwin has friends who keep him informed. I'm sure some of them are watching the castle right now. Let's go and enjoy tea time."

As they left, Maria and the captain heard Liesl. "Papa's right we can't worry. Let's play freeze tag in the Great Hall after tea time."

"Well done captain. Is our time getting closer?" Maria asked as they walked together.

"I'm really not sure. We can't show our worry either. We better join them."

No matter how hard one tries to put worry out of their mind, it seems to lurk in the mind's dark recesses. It was like that for both Maria and the captain. They both had the ability to suppress their worry around the children.

One morning, shortly after breakfast, Katia had a surprise. She had been expecting a food delivery truck. Instead she heard the quiet roar of an engine; she looked out the window and saw Erwin emerge from a car.

She didn't wait for him to knock. She opened the door. Erwin spoke immediately. "I need to speak to Georg."

"Wait here. I'll go find him." Katia knew he was in his study. The captain looked up the moment she came to his open door.

"You have a visitor, sir." She said in a hushed voice. He stood rapidly and followed her.

Once in the kitchen, he saw Erwin. He opened the door. A signal he needed to speak to Georg in private.

Erwin didn't hesitate. "Your travel plans have been made. You must fly out of Austria; it's the only way to get you out quickly. Hitler has called for a meeting of all of his leaders, including those sympathizer leaders like Zeller. It begins on February twenty first. You will fly out the next morning before dawn."

"How will all of us travel to the airport?"

"Myself or Sidney will drive my car. One of your men needs to drive yours; it's not a good idea for you to be in the driver's seat."

"Okay, one more question. Who's piloting the aircraft?"

"A defector from the German airforce, he's very experienced. He flew many missions during the Great War."

"Good to hear, now I need to decide on how best to tell everyone. I know I won't tell the children a head of time."

"I'm sure you'll think of a way. You have six days. I won't visit again unless there is a change in plans."

"Very well." The two men departed. Georg was glad Katia wasn't in the kitchen; she had known him a long time. She knew when he was under stress. He went up to sit in on the last thirty minutes of the children's lessons. Only Maria saw him enter; the door was in the back of the room. She ignored him until her lesson concluded.

"I see your papa had joined us. It must mean it's lunch time."

"It is." The children heard him answer. He then heard all about their history lesson; they had been learning about the influenza epidemic which had followed the Great War.

Friedrich was especially vocal. "Papa, I want to be a medical scientist who investigates all the terrible diseases like Scarlet Fever and influenza. Did you know it killed more people than died during the war?"

"I had heard that fact. Your choice of a profession is very noble; I'll do everything possible to help it become a reality."

"Thank you Papa."

The conversation between them continued during lunch. Katia had a response. "Do you think we could talk about other things besides bacteria and viruses? Your talk is making my stomach do summersaults."

"Sorry, Katia." Then the captain spoke to his children, "Tell your papa what you have been reading lately."

Each child responded; as did Katia. "Much better, as soon as I finish my sandwich, I will bring out one of your favorite dessert, custard still warm from the oven."

As she placed the custard cup in front of every person at the table, she heard a resounding, "thank you," from each one. She couldn't help but smile broadly. And then from the captain after he eaten his, "this was absolutely delicious; no one makes a custard like you do Katia."

"Okay, okay enough with the complements." She laughed along with all the others. The children ran off to read; the adults talked a little longer. And the captain was in a better mood. He was determined to stay upbeat as he pondered how to tell the adults his dreadful news.

The captain wondered if Maria suspected; she came up with different things to do each afternoon. One day it was the game, hide and seek. The children were limited to the wing of the first floor with the kitchen at its end. They had the best time; it had been a long time since they had played the game.

Other games played during the week were, dodge ball using the big soft ball and red rover. A game in which one child tried to break the hand grasps of the others across from them in the Great Hall.

Another day, they took paper and colored pencils and copied one of the many paintings which were in the residence. Again, Maria and the captain observed. Their papa was impressed with their reproductions.

Today was the sixth day of the captain's wait. The afternoon was spent playing several of the new games Maria had taught them. And that evening was another rousing game of charades. All during the game, the captain had been thinking of a way to send the children up to bed without him and Maria following immediately.

He hoped his words wouldn't raise any suspicion. "Children, it's late. You go on up and get ready for bed. Your Fräulein and I will be up shortly."

Maria had learned how to read him. She held this thought. He's going to tell us we're leaving soon. She engaged the others in conversation so they wouldn't leave.

"Stefan, it seems you have become quite good at the game of charades."

"I do enjoy it, Maria. I remember you telling us, that laughter is good for the soul."

"She did." The captain said and then continued to speak.

"My friends, appropriate laughter will help us get through the troubling times which lie ahead. I am sure each of you has had the thought that my naval services would make me very much wanted by the Germans. Their takeover of Austria is imminent.

"Friends, we are leaving Austria in the morning. I couldn't tell you sooner."

"Tell us the plan now, Captain."

"I will, but first I must ask that you no longer call me captain. It might alert others who might hear you. I doubt any of them know my first name; from now on I'm Georg. The plan is very simple.

"Early tomorrow morning, Sidney and Erwin will come here to help transport us."

Stefan had an immediate comment. "So, Sidney didn't return to his lodge after the holidays."

"No, he didn't. Remember, his lodge was very close to the German border. Germans over-ran it. He decided to deed it to the seminary.

"Stefan, you will drive my car. We will depart for the Vienna airport. We're flying to Switzerland."

"Georg, did I hear you correctly, we're flying to Switzerland."

"You did, Maria. It's the quickest and safest way to get us out of Austria. Maria, we need to go say goodnight to the children. Everyone, we'll return so I can tell you the details."

They left their stunned friends and walked away. They quickly visited each bedroom. They found Marta reading one of their favorite bedtime stories. They waited for her to finish.

"Are you both getting too old for me to read your bedtime story?"

"No Fräulein, I thought you and papa would like to visit with the adults."

"Very thoughtful, little one, now I have a kiss for both of you. As soon as Maria gives you kisses, we're returning to the parlor."

The captain waited near their door. He and Maria said, "good night," together. Once they were near the stairs the captain whispered.

"I know it's impossible, but they seemed to suspect something."

"Maybe, Georg, they are just growing up."

"I hope you're right."

The others were waiting to hear more of the plan. Georg didn't keep them in suspense. "In the storeroom I found more than enough travel bags for everyone. I put all of them together just inside the door. Phillip, I need you and Stefan to place them outside the door of our bedrooms tonight."

"In the morning, Maria and I will wake the children. Hopefully none will become hysterical. We won't have time for breakfast. Our airplane ride isn't very long; we will have breakfast when we arrive."

"Are we staying in Switzerland?"

"No Stefan we aren't. Our trip has been arranged by an American living in Bern. The American government wants us to come to their country. We will board a train for the coast of France. There we will cross the English Channel. At the Port of London we will board a cruise ship to take us there. We have quite an adventure ahead of us. I'm hopeful the children will be so excited they wouldn't have time to worry."

"Katia, don't worry about all the food you have prepared. Someone will come and remove all that is perishable. And Phillip, the same goes for the cows; they will be cared for; I do know it won't be here. My gut tells me the Germans may occupy the castle once they arrive. As hard as it is going to be, we must try to get a few hours of sleep."

The two men were composed. "Phillip and I will go bring all the travel bags down now. We can begin to pack tonight so we won't be so hurried in the morning."

"Good idea, thank you." They left immediately. Georg was alone with Katia and Maria. Just as Katia knew Georg well; he knew Katia well. He sensed she was having trouble comprehending all this. Maria was more outwardly calm; she knew this day would come.

It was Maria who spoke. "This is the time to fully trust God's plan for us. I believe it was He who guided this American to make a plan for all of us to escape. God already knows how evil will be at work in men's minds. He also knows you, Georg, have many things to share with the Americans which may end the conflict sooner."

"Maria, you continue to amaze me. You always have words which are calming."

"I agree with Georg. Maria, now I believe I will get some sleep; my mind may not keep me awake."

"You both are far too kind."

Neither Georg nor Katia refuted her words. They left for their bedrooms in silence. Each picked up their travel bag and began to pack. They only had their nightclothes and personal items to pack in the morning. The men had done the same. Sleep did come to each one of them.


	10. The Escape

The Escape

To each adult's surprise they did get a few hours of sleep; whether it was good sleep was doubtful. No one had set an alarm clock; the gravity of the day ahead woke them around three in the morning. Maria quietly slipped out of her room to the bathroom at her end of the hall. After dressing, she put her nightgown, robe and personal items in her bag and set it outside her door.

Georg had come from his room. Maria saw him. He motioned to her to follow him. They went downstairs in silence. He quietly asked.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"I must have; I feel rested."

"Maria, we have a few minutes. I'm sure there's pot of coffee I can heat. Let's go to the kitchen."

They both saw the light on. "I should have known Katia would be awake."

She didn't hesitate to speak. "Georg, I thought we would travel better with a little food in our stomachs. I had plenty of pastries already made. The coffee and the water are hot."

She poured Georg a cup of coffee but asked. "Coffee or tea this morning, Maria?"

"Coffee is fine, Katia."

Neither sat; they were both too fidgety. They stood near the counter where they could place their cup as they ate a pastry. Georg knew it was time to begin to wake the children.

"Maria, I'll wake the boys."

"And I'll wake Liesl first. I think she is suspicious. I saw the look she shared with Friedrich."

"I did too. She's like her mama; she has a keen sense of subtle signs of bad news. Are you ready?"

"I am, let's go up."

These two went up the stairs as any concerned parents would do. Each paused outside the child's bedroom door; each took a deep breath and slowly turned the doorknob. Maria cracked the door open, she whispered. "Liesl, wake up dear."

She immediately sat up and turned on her bedside lamp. "What's wrong? Is Papa in danger?"

"Not immediate danger, but we do need to leave Austria."

"Oh dear, what do I need to do besides getting dressed?" She said rather calmly. Maria wasn't surprised at her demeanor. She answered her calmly.

"There's a travel bag in the hall; you need to pack a few dresses, underwear of course, a sweater and all your personal items. Also select a sweater to wear; you don't need your cape. You can add other things if you wish. You're papa is waking your brothers. I need to wake your sisters. Try not to worry, Liesl."

"I'll try. This is a huge surprise."

"I know it is."

Maria hurried to the next bedroom; she thought Louisa and Brigitta might be stirring. The boys were already in the hall, talking. She was correct; they both sat up the moment she opened their door. Louisa was reaching for the pull chain on her bedside lamp.

"What's going on Fräulein? Why is everyone awake before daylight?"

"Girls, things are happening in Germany which could affect your papa. He's decided to leave Austria before anything happens."

"Did you say leave Austria?"

"You heard correctly. There's no time to explain why. I need you get dressed and then select the dresses you want to take with you; don't forget underwear, socks, your personal items and a sweater. You also need a sweater to wear. Your travel bags are in the hall. I need to wake your sisters."

"Can we take other things?"

"Of course you may. Just don't make your bag too heavy to carry."

"Are you going to bring your guitar? I remember you told us it was a gift from your father."

"I'll ask your papa. I'll meet you downstairs."

Maria knew the little girls would be difficult to wake, especially Gretl. They didn't stir when she entered their room nor after she had turned on the lamp. She sat on Gretl's bed but spoke to Marta first.

"Marta, you need to wake up. We have a special place to visit this morning."

She rubbed her eyes. "Fräulein Maria that is you. What did you tell me?"

"We're going on a trip. As soon I can wake Gretl, I'll help you pack."

"Gretl, sweetie, you need to wake up." Maria patted her gently.

Marta helped Maria. "Gretl, Gretl wake up, we're going on a trip."

"Uh, a trip, Marta."

"Your sister's right. Go use the bathroom, both of you. I'll start to pack your things."

Stefan had left a bag for each of them. Maria put the few things she knew they would want in the bottom of the bag; for Marta it was her paper doll kit and for Gretl it was a few of her favorite books. Then she packed their underwear and socks, their extra sweater and some dresses. She had two on each bed for them to choose between to wear. Also on their bed were their doll and their sweater to wear.

They were now wide awake and they had seen their siblings. They were excited. Maria was glad.

Georg appeared at their door. "Are you ready, girls?"

"All ready, papa."

"Good, I sent you brothers and sisters down to the kitchen. Katia has pastries and juice waiting for you. I need you to eat quickly; we need to be on our way soon."

Maria was sure his last words were meant for her. She and the girls followed Georg. Stefan and Phillip were picking up their travel bags as they disappeared down the stairs. The girls had run ahead; Maria had a moment alone with Georg.

"Louisa and Brigitta asked if I was bringing my guitar."

Georg didn't let her finish speaking. "Of course you can."

"Then I need to go get."

"I'll wait for you."

Georg took it from her and handed it to Stefan who was nearby. No words were needed. He proceeded to the front door with it.

The conversation among the older children didn't let on their thoughts. Liesl spoke to Marta and Gretl. "I saved your favorite pastry for you. You can sit at the table and eat it."

They had finished when Phillip appeared. "The cars are out front, sir."

"Thank you, everyone should use the bathroom before we leave; we have time."

It didn't take them long; there were several bathrooms to use. Maria and the little girls were the last to exit the house. The entire group fit comfortably in the two cars. Georg didn't even ride in the front seat. He knew he shouldn't be visible; although he didn't expect there to be any other cars on the road this early.

The sky was still dark as they approached the airport. Stefan followed behind the car driven by Sidney. He drove on to the tarmac and parked a few meters away from the airplane. They positioned each car so the headlights would be directed towards the plane.

Friedrich, who was sitting in the front seat of Sidney's car, exclaimed. "Are we going to fly out of Austria?"

"Yes, we are. You can get out but please don't talk very loudly."

Their papa was there to remind them. An attendant waited at the foot of the ladder to help them board. He had already opened the cargo bin. Stefan and Phillip placed all their travel bags there. Maria's guitar was secured so it wouldn't slide around. Another attendant closed the compartment. He along the other were there to drive the cars away after the airplane had taken off.

Now reality had set in; no one had a voice right then. Very quietly, the older children began to board. Dim lights along the center aisle helped them to see as they found a seat.

The two little girls were next to board. Georg had instructions for them. "Girls, hang on to the handrail. Take your time. Marta, Fräulein Maria is behind you. And Gretl I'll walk up behind you."

He had to give Gretl a little boost on the last step. They each took a seat by a window. Maria and Katia sat with them. As soon as the others had boarded the attendant came on board.

He spoke to them. "Please listen to my instructions for securing your seat belt. Each of you has a seat belt like the one I'm holding. Now watch me as I put the flat metal end into the special clasp. It will click when it is in place. Find yours and copy what I just did."

He waited. He saw Maria helping Gretl and Katia helping Marta. The attendant raised his belt. "Now use this loose end to pull the belt tight. It shouldn't be too tight to be uncomfortable. I'll walk around and check each one."

He did and commented. "You follow directions well; you are now ready for takeoff. It will be noisy when the plane's engines start. At first the plane will move slowly down the runway; then it will pick up speed. That and the noise may scare you. When you no longer feel the plane traveling down the runway, you will know the plane is now flying.

"You won't feel the plane moving. Most passengers can tell the plane is flying by looking out the window and seeing the ground appear to be moving. Our entire trip will be in the dark. The sunrise will follow us because the plane travels slightly faster than the sun rises. The sun will be rising when you get to your destination.

"When the pilot begins to bring the plane down, you will feel the plane slowly descend. The plane may bounce once or twice as it touches down. Then you feel the pilot put on the breaks. The force will push you into your seat. The pilot will guide it to a safe place for you get off. Are there any question?"

He heard none. Georg had stood. He offered his hand to the man and these words. "Stay safe."

"I will sir. The American has already given me my exit plans." He exited the airplane. Once on the ground he moved the ladder from the plane. The pilot came from the cockpit to close the door and secure it.

"I'll have you in the air shortly. Sit back and enjoy your trip."

Everyone, including the children, had relaxed. Now they were excited and voiced it. Georg and Maria heard multiple times. "I can't believe we're riding in an airplane. This is so exciting."

When the engines started, there was a large puff of black smoke emitted. Then those whose seat looked out over them were able to see the propellers begin to move. They watched them until them until they were twirling so fast one could not see the individual blades. Soon it was as the attendant had described.

The airplane's speed down the runway was frightenly fast. It made everyone tense as they held their breaths. Perhaps they were wondering if the plane would really get off the ground. No sooner had that thought formed they felt the airplane incline slightly as the front wheel left the ground and in seconds the other wheels had left the ground. There was no more rumble sound or vibrations.

The plane continued on an incline as it climbed to the proper altitude. Everyone felt it level off. They had begun to calm down. The noise from the engines still made conversation difficult except with the persons around them.

Neither Georg nor the other navy men knew very much about flying. Georg did use his extra loud voice to speak.

"I believe the pilot has the plane where it needs to be to take us to Switzerland. All we can do is sit back and relax."

Georg then directed a question at Maria and Katia. "How are my little girls?"

"Marta let go of my hand a moment ago."

And then Maria spoke. "Gretl relaxed her grip on my hand but she's still holding it. Take off was a little scary, even for me."

"I think everyone would admit to being a tad bit scared, Maria. It's amazing that a big object like an airplane can fly like a bird."

"It is, Georg. Maybe one day all of us may learn the physics which make it possible."

Soon the smooth ride began to make everyone drowsy. They had been awake since three in the morning. They began to succumb to their eyes closing; they rested their heads on the seat back. Marta and Gretl each had an arm to rest against. All but the captain slept.

He was on watch; it was his nature. No one knew how long they had napped. It was the pilot's voice which woke them. Each flinched as they rubbed their eyes.

"We are about to begin our descent to the airport in Bern Switzerland."

Friedrich announced. "Look out the window everyone. The sky is getting brighter."

His words brought on the exclamation from several. "I can't believe we got here so soon."

Brigitta was glad but also worried. "I hope the landing isn't as scary as the pilot described, bouncing on the runway doesn't sound like fun."

She was close enough for Georg heard her. "Yes, I know it may seem scary. We have a very experienced pilot at the controls. I'm sure he will set the plane on the runway with as little bouncing as possible."

It was a very slow descent. It was Kurt who spoke next. "The land is getting closer everyone; I can see trees and now houses."

The pilot spoke again. "I will have you on land in five minutes. Prepare to feel yourselves being pushed back into you seats."

Now everyone knew they were about to land. Those by the window could see the runway. The plane was still traveling very fast. As the attendant had told them, it bounced twice before the wheels remained on the ground and the pilot applied the brakes.

The sensation felt made everyone think, will it be able to stop. They were almost holding their breaths when they felt it slow. The pilot had to turn to head back to the debarking zone. There it came to a complete stop.

Again the pilot spoke. "You may release your seatbelts. I'll be in the cabin monetarily to open the door."

And he was. He asked. "Did you enjoy your flight?"

He heard a chorus of, "We did."

Brigitta added. "The landing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"Thank you, young lady, I take great pride in a good landing. I'm also glad you enjoyed your flight. Georg, you're American contact will greet you."

Georg stood and again took hold of his hand to thank him. He followed the pilot down the ladder. He saw the dignitaries.

One stepped forward with his hand extended. "Allen Dulles, Georg, I'm usually called Dulles around here. But I answer to both."

"Pleased to meet you, Dulles." The two men exchange a firm handshake which gave Georg confidence.

As the others were getting off the plane, Dulles quickly explained. "Georg, you won't stay long in Bern. Your train for the coast of France leaves at ten. I'm sure your group didn't have time for a decent breakfast. I made reservations at a restaurant near the station. The bus which is approaching will be our transportation there."

Erwin and Sidney had heard. They directed everyone to board the bus. Stefan and Phillip transferred their bags and Maria's guitar to the belly of the bus.

Georg stood at the front and announced. "Our train doesn't leave until ten. We're going to have breakfast first."

He heard Kurt. "Thank goodness, I've starved."

"My youngest son, Dulles, he's always starving."

"Not surprising, Georg, I remember being that way. My mother thought I had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Sit with me so we can talk."

The two men found seats together in the back of the bus. Dulles filled Georg in on the remainder of their travel.

"The train will get you into Calais in time to catch the five o'clock ferry to England. The cruise port is within walking distance. The RMS Queen Mary will be waiting for you. It's a big ship. Her traveling time is only four full days.

"You will be met by my brother, John Foster Dulles, when you arrive at the port in Baltimore. It's a city close to our nation's capital, Washington, DC the letters stand the District of Colombia. Even I don't know all the details. I assume you will stay in a hotel before you are taken to your final destination in my country."

"It matters not where we go in America. All of us are extremely pleased with your country's willingness to accept all of us. I am sure there have been many who preceded us."

"There are, Georg. Like many of them, you have information we can use. I see we have arrived at the restaurant."

Kurt immediately stood. He had seen the restaurant. "Let's get off. My stomach is making noises."

Kurt we've heard her stomach before; you won't faint."

"Very funny, Brigitta."

Sidney defended Kurt. "I must agree with Kurt. Follow me everyone."

Sidney went off first; he was there to help the others. Dulles and Georg were last. Dulles was now the leader. He spoke to the maître'd. "Reservation for Dulles, sir."

"Yes, sir, right this way. The private dining room is ready. Follow me."

Georg heard and motioned with his hand to follow him. "This is really nice." Georg heard his eldest tell everyone.

"Nothing is too good for your father, young lady."

"I speak for my brothers and sisters. We appreciate your hospitality."

Georg stood proudly as Liesl spoke; he would thank her later. No one was really surprised that the menu had many Austrian favorites. Maria had taught them about the peasants of Switzerland and those of Austria being related.

Only Kurt ate with gusto; he filled his bottomless pit as he ate his last pastry. Soon it was time to depart. They did take time to use the restaurant's facilities. The bus driver had them at the train station in a matter of minutes.

Everyone thanked him. A train station attendant came to help them with their bags. Stefan made sure the guitar wasn't accidently left behind. Dulles handed Georg their tickets. He used the leather portfolio the boys had given him for Christmas and placed it in his inside pocket of his suit coat.

Dulles came aboard to wish everyone safe travel. "One day I will return to America. I will come visit you. Till then enjoy the remainder of your trip. I know my country will welcome you when you arrive there."

Again he and Georg shook hands. He left the train. Georg found a seat and the train began to pull out of the station. They had about a six hour ride to the coast of France. It had already been a very long day. Their nap on the airplane didn't stop them from falling asleep on the train.

When they woke, Gretl voiced the question on everyone's mind. "Papa, is there a bathroom on the train?"

"Yes, sweetie there is. Maria, she may need help; follow me to the rear of the car."

A sign on a door had the word,_ lavatory, _written on it in bold letters. "Georg, do you know that word?"

"No, I don't. But I'm sure this is a bathroom. Let me take a look."

The door opened into the room. Georg took one look and spoke. "It's small Maria but it is a bathroom."

He held the door for Maria and Gretl. Gretl entered first. Maria had to crowd her so she could close door. Gretl's need was urgent. When she finished she asked. "How do I flush the toilet?"

Maria had a look. "Maybe you push this big button." Maria reached around her and gave it a push. When she did, they both heard the noise of the wheels on the track. Maria was tall enough to see into the toilet.

"Oh my, I can see the ground." Maria had no idea that their waste emptied directly on to the tracks. "Gretl, wash your hands. Then I'll open the door for you. I need to use the toilet."

Gretl exited to others standing in the aisle. After everyone had had a turn. Georg announced. "We are about an hour from the coast of France?"

He heard several say, "So soon."

"The train was traveling at a high speed while most of you slept." Georg informed them.

Then he heard from Friedrich. "Papa, if we're coming to the coast, I know that means we are near a body of water. Where are we going now?"

"Everyone, listen to me. We will cross the English Channel on a ferry boat."

Friedrich immediately spoke. "So we're going to England."

Georg decided it was time to tell them their final destination. "Yes, we are, but not to stay there. Docked on the coast of England is a big ship which will take us to America."

"I never dreamed when we studied the country, we would one day go there."

"Liesl, not even I ever held that thought. The American government needs me to share all I learned from my days on the submarine during the Great War."

He didn't share with them the dreadful truth. He knew all of Europe would one day be engulfed in a war greater than the previous one. He was certain war would never come directly to America. He had no crystal ball to tell him how America would be involved in the fighting.

Everyone was talking among themselves. No one but Georg felt the train begin to slow. As the brakes were applied, the screeching sound alerted everyone. He heard Kurt. "We're at the coast everyone."

"Kurt's correct. When we get off, please stay together. I will need to obtain directions to the ferry."

It was another passenger from the train who told him. "Sir, follow us. We're all taking the ferry. It's not far."

One of the men carried the youngest girls' bags. All the others were able carry their own without a struggle. Stefan guarded Maria's guitar. They approached the ferry's bridge where an attendant stood to take their ticket. Georg spoke to him.

"Here are fourteen tickets for my group."

Sidney was at the end of the line. He heard the man say. "Fourteen." Sidney responded. "Yes, I'm the last person in the group."

He hurried to hear Georg's directions. "Let's go on the top deck so we have a good view of our trip."

All except the three naval officers were very excited. None of them had ever seen a large body of water nor, of course, a ferry boat. Georg didn't have time to warn them about the boat's departing horn. When it blew, everyone was startled.

As the boat picked up speed so did the wind. It chilled everyone. They were forced to retreat to the level below where they stayed until the ferry docked at the Port of Dover. They didn't need directions to where the cruise ship was docked. They followed the crowd,

**FYI:** The fact about the train's toilet is true. My research surprised me.


	11. The Cruise Ship

The Cruise Ship

They still had a distance to walk when they caught a glimpse of the ship docked at the port. The sight of this gigantic ship brought comments like. "I never dreamed it would be so big." And others said. "You could get lost in it."

Georg responded to that comment. "I'm sure you could. I am also sure there will be many stewards around to be sure you won't."

As they came closer they could clearly read the ship's name. In big letters near the front of the ship was its name, Queen Mary. They weren't among the first to cross the bridge. A group of fourteen which contained children walked much slower than many others in the crowd had.

It made no difference to the children. They were still gawking at the ship. Soon they had approached the foot of the bridge. Once again Georg handed the attendant all fourteen tickets.

He didn't bother to count them. He simply said, "Welcome aboard the Queen Mary. She's ready to give you a spectacular sail to America."

As soon as they crossed a group of stewards were at their service to help carry their bags. Stefan still guarded Maria's guitar. In a moment one of them spoke.

"Follow me; one of us will bring up the rear, sir. I'm sure you're concerned someone might stray away."

"You read my mind; even the adults in my group are mesmerized by the size of the ship."

After traversing stairs, passageways and using an elevator, they arrived at their cabins. Brigitta spoke those same words Maria had when she first came to see the castle. "I feel like Hansel and Gretl. Where are my breadcrumbs?"

Everyone, including the stewards laughed. "Don't worry young lady. One of us will always be stationed in the passageway to escort you to where ever you want to go."

Then he addressed Georg. "You have cabins of all sizes assigned to you. I leave it to you to choose."

"Very well, my group isn't picky. It shouldn't take us long."

And it didn't. Maria found the perfect cabin for her and the little girls. Katia and Liesl, Brigitta and Louisa and the two boys each had a cabin with twin beds. The two sets of men found similar accommodations. Georg was the only one to have a cabin with a double bed.

The stewards had followed them with their bags. After using the facilities the group began to gather in the passageway, Kurt was anxious; he was the first of the children out of his cabin.

"Papa, how many people are on this ship?"

"I don't know a number; I do know it's a lot."

"I can answer your son, sir. She carries about 2100 passengers and 1100 crew members."

"Why do you refer to the ship as a she?"

The steward smiled. "The best answer I was told comes from an old tradition of naming many things as feminine, like the earth is sometimes called Mother Earth. Most people tell you it's just tradition."

"Where are you taking us now?" Louisa asked.

"Up to an open area on the front of the ship to watch her depart."

"Do all those people come to watch?"

"No, many of them are frequent travelers; most will be down in one of the lounges having a good time."

The navy men all knew that was a polite way of saying they were in one of the lounges enjoying the drinking spirits or smoking a good cigar.

"I won't walk too fast. We have thirty minutes until the ship departs."

Again another steward was at the end of this parade of people. And again they traversed stairs, passageways and used two elevators to finally arrive at the front of the ship. They were on a viewing area located on the highest deck of the ship.

They were told. "We are on what is called the Sport deck. It has a place to walk all the way around it. Many people enjoy it first thing in the morning. Directly behind us is one of our fabulous restaurants. This deck also has tennis courts, a gymnasium and many other rooms to play a multiple of different sports. There's also an outdoor area for other games.

"This deck also has one of the several movie theaters onboard. On the far end are the quarters for the ship's captain and his officers, directly above is the wheelhouse, the place from which the captain controls the ship."

No one spoke; they were very much in awe of what they had just learned about the ship. They were among a handful of people who had come to watch the ship depart. The sun had set but darkness hadn't set in yet. They had a good view of the English Channel which the ship had to travel until it emptied into the Atlantic Ocean.

The steward didn't have time to warn them. A loud deep slightly creepy dull bass horn sound penetrated the air; it sounded for a very long time. Like they had on the ferry, the group was startled; some covered their ears.

When it stopped, the steward spoke. "We're underway everyone. If you look towards shore, you will see the lights get further and further away."

He heard a question. "Will our sail always be so smooth?"

"Yes, young lady; I'm surprised you used the word sail. Are you familiar with sailing terms?"

"I read a lot."

Georg let out his breath. He had wondered how Brigitta was going to answer. Kurt now got his attention.

"Papa, can we eat now?" Kurt refrained from talking about his stomach. Instead Brigitta did. "My stomach tells me it needs food."

"Children, we're going there now. The dining room which most families use is not far. We can use the next set of stairs."

They followed the steward down them and it was as he said, not far. "Here we are, the Sun Deck Restaurant."

They were standing before an entry whose double doors were wide open. It gave the group the first view at the opulence of the ship. They stood in amazement looking at a room no one knew how to describe; it was different from anything any of them had ever seen.

The stewards had witnessed their reaction many times. One of them spoke. "Even we were surprised at this décor; it is quite different."

The arched entry had massive sleek columns on each side. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the walls of the dining space.

Liesl commented. "Papa, are the walls covered in wood? I can see what looks like the design of the wood's grain."

"An excellent description Liesl, and the wood below that strip of mahogany stained wood has a dark coral color."

The lead steward spoke up. "This room is an example how the entire ship is decorated. We were all told it is a new design called, _Art Deco._ The chair cushions are upholstered in the same vibrant colors used in the rubber titles in the floor which you can see are tones of red, orange and cinnamon. The lighting comes from the specially made light fixtures in a silver bronze; a color which blends with all the others. I'm sure you have noticed the window treatments which have many different vibrant colors.

"The colors used here are not as bold and bright as colors used elsewhere. Along with sleek aesthetic, symmetrical geometric shapes, you will see colors like bright yellow, deep purple, ruby red and turquoise."

It was Georg who responded. "I speak for all of us. This ship is more than any of us ever imagined. We need to take our seats."

"Since this is the family dining room, there are many tables which seat ten, a perfect number for you, your children and the Mrs."

Katia heard that; she immediately spoke. "I'll sit at your table Georg so I can help with the children."

And then Sidney spoke. "The men can sit can sit at this table with four chairs. We can still converse with everyone."

Katia confused the poor steward by sitting beside Georg. Maria was on the other end between Marta and Gretl; she knew they usually needed help cutting their meat. The other children took their places quickly.

While they read the menu, waiters began to fill their water glasses; others brought out baskets of crackers and different kinds of bread; another brought various kinds of cheese spreads.

Maria heard Marta. "Fräulein, can you read the menu to me? I can't read more than a few words."

"I can read most of it; even I don't know all the foods the words describe. I can read, Wiener schnitzel. It comes with potato dumplings and a vegetable. Shall I order you a small portion?"

"Yes, Fräulein."

Maria heard a "me too," from Gretl. She ordered the same for herself. The others were still pondering. By now the steward knew he was wrong about Maria being a Mrs. but no one said anything. Everyone, including the steward pretended it hadn't happened.

Soon Louisa placed her order. "I'll have veal scaloppini with potatoes and green vegetables."

And from Friedrich, "I'll have the same."

Liesl asked a question. "What's pasta, sir?"

"It's an Italian food usually made with a special flour and water, occasionally eggs are used. It comes in many shapes and sizes; some are long, small and round others are squares which have meat or vegetables between two of them. All are cooked in boiling water and are usually served with a tomato sauce."

"That sounds delicious. I'll order the spaghetti with a salad."

"And you young man," said while looking at Kurt.

"Can I have a double serving of ravioli? I'm very hungry."

"You may; our serving size isn't large enough for a growing boy like you." The waiter saw his broad smile."

And young lady, whose name I believe is Brigitta, what would you like to order?" She gave him a big smile as well.

"Wiener schnitzel is my favorite too."

Katia, Georg and the four men also placed their orders. Everyone heard.

"Your food will be out shortly."

Now they indulged in the crackers, bread and various cheese spreads. They didn't have time to stuff themselves; their meals were brought out in about ten minutes.

There was silence while they ate. It had been a long time since the snack they had on the train. When the head waiter noticed everyone had finished, he spoke.

"Is chocolate cake and ice cream okay for your dessert?"

He saw smiles and heard many "yesses."

When Kurt finished his, he remarked. "I'm stuffed." And several others said, "me too."

"Maybe you're all too full to go to bed right away. This would be a perfect time for us to show you the rest of the ship." They heard from one of the stewards.

Georg stood. "An excellent idea, I'm sure some of you may need to use the bathroom first." His eyes were directed at Marta and Gretl."

It was only a matter of a few minutes before they were ready. The lead steward explained. "We'll begin on this deck and work our way down. The Sun deck has many of the most extravagantly decorated cabins; American movie stars and dignitaries from many countries use them.

"Also on this deck is one of many lounges and smoking rooms. At the end is another movie theater. Now, we'll take the elevator down one level."

Once it had stopped he announced. "This is the Promenade deck, home to two lounges and many more cabins. Our theater for live stage productions is here, as well as a library, drawing room, music room and playroom.

"I know that sounds juvenile but it isn't; children there are all kinds of things to do in there. Now, we need to go to the Main deck. It is mostly filled with cabins; it also has a playroom."

The next deck was named _A._ It too had many cabins. In the middle there was a huge restaurant whose entrance was actually on the _C_ deck. They were also told there was not much to see on the _B_ deck. The stewards' quarters were there as well as a dining saloon.

The steward did show them a surprise. "We're coming to a balcony. Does anyone have an idea what it may overlook?"

They had none. "Keep walking and tell me what you see."

"I see water." Louisa shouted. Her papa continued. "I don't believe it; it's a swimming pool. Do passengers really use it?"

"Not very much unless there are a lot of children. Occasionally some of the men like to swim laps in the morning. There's also a small one on the _G_ deck. Decks_ D_ and _E_ are filled with stores. One can buy almost anything onboard. The last three decks house everything needed to run the ship.

"You've seen everything. Now we can take the elevator back to your cabins."

"Thank you so much."

The steward responded to Maria. "You're most welcomed. I see two little girls who look mighty sleepy." They both nodded.

The group only had a short distance to walk to the elevator. It went up to the Main Deck where there cabins were located. Soon Maria and the girls were at their cabin.

"I better get you both inside before you fall asleep in your shoes."

"Let Papa give you kisses first."

Maria got a quiet "goodnight, Maria" and a wink. Georg's wink had become a regular occurrence but Georg's smile was different. Maria didn't ponder right then. She too spoke a quiet, "goodnight, Georg."

She had no way of knowing his smile had become even broader as he was remembering the steward's use of the word _Mrs._ He poked his head in each of the other children's rooms to say goodnight.

Georg didn't think he had to remind them to stay in their cabins in the morning. He felt certain they would sleep later than usual: it had been a long day.

He had been wrong. While he was dressing the next morning, he heard. "Boys, you can't go explore the ship by yourselves."

Georg hurried to put on his shoes. When he opened his door, he saw not only the boys but also Louisa and Brigitta and Liesl had joined them.

Kurt spoke. "We couldn't sleep any longer, Papa. We wanted to see the playrooms."

"And Papa, I want to see a sunrise. I'm sure it is spectacular on a ship."

"Sir, we have about thirty minutes before it begins to get light. I could take you to the same deck where you saw the ship leave the port. And then we could have a good look at one of the playrooms before you have breakfast. And my name is Adam. May I use all of your names to address you?"

"Most certainly, no need to be so formal."

"Very well. It seems not everyone in your group is awake yet."

"You're correct; we're missing Maria and my youngest daughters. I'll go wake them."

Maria had heard the chatter. She was dressed and in the process of waking the girls when she heard a knock on her door; and a voice saying. "Wake up, sleepyheads."

Maria recognized the voice. She opened the door. "I couldn't believe my ears; I was so surprised to hear the children's voices."

"I was too. As soon as the girls are dressed, we're going up on deck to see the sunrise."

"The girls just woke up; I'll hurry them."

They had heard their papa; now they rushed. They were excited.

Adam spoke. "I count fourteen heads; we can head out. Mark will bring up the rear, Georg."

No one really knew if they took the same route as yesterday; there were many stairs and elevators they could use to get to their destination. When they arrived they saw a few other passengers waiting to view the sunrise. It was as Adam had said. The sky had begun to lighten.

He explained. "We are in the rear of the ship because the sunrise follows us. It has already risen in London."

Friedrich commented. "Our attendant on our airplane told us something similar. He had to add the fact that the plane flew faster than the sun rose. When we reached our destination, the sun had just begun to rise there."

"The ship doesn't travel that fast. Everyone needs to keep watching; the sky will change quickly."

Georg had been glad the stewards hadn't asked any questions about their airplane travel. Although he suspected they knew they were from Austria.

Everyone kept their eyes glued towards the horizon. There was nothing but water between it and the ship. Soon they saw a defused line of light yellow extend under the horizon. In a matter of seconds their eyes focused on a brighter yellow which quickly had become the round edge of the sun itself. Above the horizon, the light molecules were displayed as a very pale orange to a very pale pink which appeared fluffy like wispy clouds.

Then the brilliant sun broke above the horizon. It rose quickly; the colors became more intense. What had been pale were now deep shades of pink orange close to the horizon but a yellow orange colored the sky above. A quarter of the sun was bright yellow.

It didn't take long for the sun to be totally above the horizon. It brightened the sky with a deep pale shade of yellow which became paler as it continued to rise. Now its rising was complete. Everyone knew it would continue to get higher and higher as it made its circle around the earth.

Adam added. "If there are clouds present as the sun rises you will see other colors such as deep pink and pale purple. And sunsets are just as spectacular."

"This was awesome, Adam. I'm glad we came up."

"My pleasure, Maria, even I still enjoy them. I'll take you by one of the playrooms before we have breakfast."

Adam had been true to his words; the playrooms weren't for little children. This one had a miniature bowling alley, a room with a net for volleyball or badminton and several Ping-Pong tables.

Adam also told them. "The other playrooms onboard have places to paint or make things out of clay and one has a room where ballet lessons are given."

"Children, I don't think you will be bored."

"I don't think so either, Fräulein."

Adam now led them back to the Sun Deck Restaurant. There were others there already enjoying their breakfast. The group easily found a table to seat ten and one for the four men. Louisa began to read the breakfast menu.

"Papa, there are some strange foods on the menu."

"I see there are. I doubt anyone wants fruit compote or kippered herrings."

"I don't think so either Papa."

"Let me make some suggestions. You may want to begin with a glass of pineapple juice. Then you could choose between simple cooked oats or an oat porridge which has other things cooked with it.

"Another choice is eggs. The eggs come poached, which means cooked in hot water, or fried. You also have your choice of different kinds of breads to go with your eggs. They also have them cooked as an omelet with your choice of vegetables, meat or cheese in the middle. Or you could have pancakes made from different kinds of grains."

"Thank you Papa, now it's going to be difficult to decide; everything sounds so good."

The waiters waited patiently for the group to decide. Everyone ordered pineapple juice. It was a juice most had never had. One by one each ordered from the suggestions Georg had made.

After they finished, one of the waiters asked. "Did you enjoy breakfast?"

"We did." Georg answered. "My children had foods they had never had before. Please give the chef our complements."

Kurt was now out of his chair. "Can we go see one of the playrooms now?"

"Yes, Kurt we can."

"And Georg, the four of us will go explore the ship."

Maria spoke to Georg. "You can join the men. I think Katia and I can look after seven children."

"Thanks for the suggestion. I'll stay with you and the children."

In moments the men had left and Adam led the children along with Georg and Maria to the nearest playroom.


	12. Days of Fun

Days of Fun

Kurt was the first out of the dining room. He immediately took his place beside Adam who was walking at a leisurely pace.

"Can't we walk faster, Adam? The others can catch up."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I'm anxious to play some new games. My Fräulein taught us games to play like Freeze Tag and Duck-Duck Goose but these playrooms have games which we've never seen."

"Guess what Kurt, we're almost there. It's up ahead on the right."

Kurt quickly walked on ahead. Friedrich wasn't far behind. By the time the others arrived, they were already receiving instruction on how to play Ping-Pong.

They caught on quickly and were soon able to hit the ball back and forth several times before one of them directed the ball off the table. The steward was there to give them another.

When Louisa entered she went and stood by a long wooden structure with a sunken round depression on both sides and ten objects, each with an oval base, a long slim neck and a slightly rounded top end positioned in the form of a triangle.

"Papa, do you know how to play this game?"

"No, Louisa, I don't. I'm sure the steward standing beside it can tell us."

"I'd be happy to, sir. By the way my name is Karl." He began to explain.

"To play the game, you need to roll the ball down the alley towards the pins."

Louisa asked. "How did those objects get the name, _pin_?"

"Some people think the first pins looked more like a rolling pin. They didn't stand on their ends very well. Some carpenter decided to shape them on a lathe. At first they were very crude but soon they became the shape they have today. I was also told that similar objects were found in an Egyptian tomb; so this is a very old game. Whether it was played the same as we do is not known.

"The object is to knock as many pins down on your first try as possible. You hold the ball by placing your middle and ring fingers and your thumb in the holes. Then you stand back from the bold black line far enough to take three steps. As you approach the line, you swing the ball back, then bring it forward and set it on the alley. Your fingers should come out of the holes and the ball will travel towards the pins."

"Can you show us?"

"Of course I can."

Karl followed his own instructions. Georg, Katia and his daughters saw his ball strike the first pin and all but two fell over.

"Now I get a chance to knock down the other two. It's difficult to control your wrist; the slightest turn will make the ball go in the gutter. Let's see if I'm lucky."

He laughed when he missed them. "One needs to practice a lot to be able to knock down the remaining pins. No one ever keeps score; everyone plays for fun. They usually end up laughing at all their gutter balls just like I did. Now it's your turn."

Katia, the three girls and Georg had the best time. There was a lot of laughter. Meanwhile, Maria had discovered another room which had swings, slides and a teeter-totter which were the perfect size for Marta and Gretl. Maria sat on a bench while they played.

She allowed her mind to wander. She couldn't understand why Georg kept having that odd but interesting smile; nor could she understand why he wanted to be with her and the children.

Marta startled her when she spoke. "Fräulein Maria, we want to do something else now."

"Maybe you might like to try the game your sisters are playing. Let's go see."

Georg saw them coming. "Do you girls want to bowl too?"

"We do, Papa. Can you teach us?"

"I'll let Karl teach you."

"Girls, you get to use this shorter alley with only five pins to knock down. Your small balls don't have holes for your fingers. You hold them with two hands and swing them before you release them on the alley."

"I think we can do that, Gretl. Let's try."

Maria and Georg both watched them. Marta went first; she had good luck and knocked them all down. Karl set them up again. Gretl was also successful. They heard.

"Good for you girls. You both knocked down all the pins. Now give the attendant time to set them up again."

After a few more turns, Marta asked. "Karl, don't you get tired of setting up the pins for us?"

"No I don't; I enjoy watching children have fun."

"We are having fun, thank you."

"Young ladies, you are most welcomed." The little girls giggled; they had never been called young ladies before.

While they had been bowling, the boys had changed sports. They were now enjoying a game of badminton. Soon the four men in their group appeared.

"Kurt, didn't you realize it's almost an hour past lunch?"

"Is it really?"

"Georg, I have a suggestion. The restaurant on the Sport deck is enclosed in glass. I'm sure we could find tables so everyone can have a view of the water. And then when we finish, the movie theater is showing movies especially for children. One of the stewards told me adults also enjoy them."

"Sounds like a plan. Do I hear any objections?"

"No Papa, I think it sounds like fun."

"And I agree with Marta. Let's go. Suddenly I'm very hungry."

"We're all hungry, Kurt. Let's follow Stefan." Georg smiled at his son.

It was everything Stefan had described. Lunch food was a lot like what Katia usually served, soup, sandwiches and a new food for the group, potato chips and also a new beverage.

A waiter explained. "The beverages are either called soda-pop or just pop. The bubbles come from carbonated water or water with air in it. Sounds strange but I'm sure you will enjoy it. Are you going to the movies after you eat?"

"We are, sir."

"Most people stop at our ice cream bar after the movies and get an ice cream cone."

"Thank you for telling us. Something else new for us to enjoy, children. As soon as we finish eating we can head for the theater."

Only a few meters from the restaurant was a beautifully decorated theater room. It was decorated with fabric on the walls in various shades of purple. The seats were upholstered in a deep reddish-purple. They were on an incline so no one had anyone's head in front of them obstructing their view. Still, Gretl sat on Maria's lap and Marta was on Katia's.

A theater person introduced the movies. "The first thirty minutes is a delightful collection of cartoons which feature a mouse and his friends. The main feature is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. All of these come to us from America; they're the works of a man named Walt Disney. Now sit back and be prepared to laugh and have a good time."

As the lights dimmed, a round symbol appeared on the white screen in front of them. Soon the cartoons began; the cartoon figures didn't speak. It was their antics which made them laugh. Each short film was funnier than the previous; the group laughed and then laughed some more.

There was a short break before the main feature. Again they saw the round symbol before they heard the voice from the speakers on either side of the screen announce: _A retelling of the Brother's Grimm fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs._

"Fräulein Maria, there's Snow White. She's so beautiful."

"I see Gretl, now let's watch and listen to the story." Maria gave her hug.

Another child in the audience had a similar outburst. No one reprimanded either. For the most part the room was quiet. Some deep breaths were taken and the occasional "oh no," was heard during a scary scene.

When it had finished, Marta announced. "I like movies, Papa. Maybe one day I can be in a movie."

"Anything is possible in America."

Those words made Georg think. All of us will have opportunities we never dreamed would be possible. The lights came on and he heard.

"Can we have our ice cream cone now?"

Again Stefan took charge. "Follow me everyone."

Set up on the deck was a small ice cream shoppe; one needed to decide between, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla with chocolate chips or Carmel and nuts or strawberry. And then they had to decide, one scoop or two.

They sat in the chairs which looked out over the ocean to eat. When they had finished, they talked about the cartoons and the movie. Their ice cream treat delayed dinner by an hour.

As the group walked on a deck near the front of the ship, they could see adults on the deck below playing a game.

"Papa, do you know what they are playing?"

"No, I don't children."

A passenger standing nearby spoke. "Sir, I can tell your children."

"Please do; all of us are interested."

"It's called Shuffleboard, everyone. The object of the game is to push the biscuit-puck with the stick and get it to stop in one of the triangles. As you can see, each triangle has a number which is the number of points which are awarded to the player. The rules are somewhat complicated but not difficult to master.

"There's a group of us who have entered the tournament which will be held on our last day at sea. I believe one of the playrooms has a junior court."

Kurt responded to the gentleman. "Thank you sir, maybe we can find it and learn how to play."

"You're welcome young man." Kurt stood proud; he was just like his little sisters. He liked being called a young man rather than a boy.

The passenger walked away to join some friends. The group continued a leisurely stroll to the dining room. The menu was similar to their first dinner onboard the ship. This first day ended with a slow walk back to their cabins. It took them by the library.

"Papa, I need a good book to read. Do we have time to look around?"

"Of course we do Brigitta. I'm sure everyone will come out with a book."

He was correct. When they arrived at their cabins, everyone disappeared into their rooms. It had been a busy fun day.

Georg spoke to the steward on duty. "Tell the morning steward, my children may wake earlier than most."

"Adam told us he caught them this morning. I'll tell him to be on the lookout for any early riser."

Georg left Adam and made the rounds of the bedrooms. He wasn't surprised they were all in bed, reading. His knock on Maria and his little girls' room drew this response.

"You can come in, Papa."

Georg found both the girls in bed with Maria. "Fräulein Maria's reading the first story from this book about the Ruggles family who has seven children. The mother is a washerwoman which is a person who runs a laundry. Sometimes funny things happen there."

"Sounds like an interesting story, Marta."

"You can join us if you want to, Georg."

"Thanks for the offer, Maria. I have an Agathe Christie mystery I found in the library."

They exchanged smiles. Again Maria noticed Georg's odd smile as he turned to leave. He could hear her begin to read again as he closed the cabin's door. His smile never left as he walked on to his cabin.

The little girls had left Maria's bed when the story was over. Neither had any difficulty falling asleep. But Maria did; she kept having thoughts. What's wrong with me? Why does my heart beat faster when Georg's nearby? And sometimes I have a hard time breathing.

She then chastised herself. Maria, it's all your imagination. She didn't stop thinking; she began to think about America. The children will all go to a real school. What will I do? She immediately told herself to stop thinking and go to sleep. It was remembering Georg's smile that helped her fall asleep.

No one woke early the next morning. Everyone came from their cabins about the same time. Georg tried to excuse the steward from leading them to the dining room. "Mark, we know our way to the Sport deck."

"I know you do. I'll follow anyway. Then I'll be available to chaperone the children afterwards."

They did know exactly which set of stairs to take and then the elevator to the passageway to the restaurant. Today they feasted on waffles, pancakes, fried eggs and crispy strips of a meat which they learned was called bacon; juice, milk, tea and coffee were available to all.

"Kurt, do you think you will be hungry before lunch today?"

"Fräulein Maria, are you teasing me?"

"I am Kurt. I also ate more than usual. Maybe we should walk the track before we go play."

"Excellent suggestion, Maria, follow me everyone."

Georg led the way. The track was narrow; the group had to walk single-file. This time Maria brought up the rear. She walked behind Marta and Gretl whose short legs didn't allow them to walk very fast. They made the loop before they separated.

Mark was needed; another steward whose name was Paul was needed as well. The boys wanted to learn how to play shuffleboard. Paul was in charge of them.

Liesl and Louisa wanted to try their hand at painting. Katia went with them. Adam led the way to the proper playroom. Maria and the three younger girls were going to the ballet class. Mark was their escort. He smiled when he observed Georg coming with them.

Maria no longer suggested to Georg he could go with the men who had chosen to go watch the tennis match; she knew what his response would be.

Brigitta asked. "Papa, have you ever seen a real ballet?"

"I have. One ballet I saw was the story of Sleeping Beauty; another was the Nutcracker, an imaginary story about a wooden nutcracker who becomes a handsome prince."

"Papa, maybe we can see it sometime?"

"Maybe Marta, I believe America will have a ballet company which may perform it sometime. I see your instructor has arrived."

Georg listened to the madam give instructions. First, they had to put on ballet shoes; then a tutu which fit over their clothes. And then she taught them the basic ballet positions.

The entire time Georg's eyes were on Maria. He was cautious; their eyes never caught. Although once Maria saw his head turn quickly; she knew he had been looking at her. He never saw her broad smile.

When the class was over they went to observe the painters. "I'm really impressed girls. Your flowers look almost real."

"Thank you, Papa. Did my sisters enjoy their ballet class?"

"We did, Liesl. Our teacher told us we had done very well."

Georg had to add. "Your Fräulein did well too."

"And your papa was an appreciative audience." All of them got a case of the giggles after Maria's remark

"It's time for lunch. I'm sure your brothers are waiting in the dining room. We better hurry before Kurt faints from lack of food."

"Papa, you're being silly."

"It's fun to be silly sometimes, Gretl."

It was as Georg had said. The boys were there, patiently waiting. Kurt didn't complain but he was hungry. Today most had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with pickles and potato chips and more soda to drink.

When they had finished they sat and tried to decide on what to do that afternoon. Paul had heard their discussion.

"I have an idea for you. The ship always has a touring performing group on board. They always have matinee performance for the entire family."

Paul barely stopped speaking before Brigitta did. "Sounds like fun, Papa. Can we see it?"

"Is that everyone's choice?"

Georg saw a bunch of nods. "I suggest you use the facilities here in the dining room before we head out."

Paul waited near the door for the group to assemble. Maria and Georg walked behind the little girls. They were excited; they walked faster than usual.

As soon as they were close to the theater, Brigitta could see the sign. It had big bold letters announcing the performance.

**ALICE IN WONDERLAND  
>TODAY AT TWO O'CLOCK<strong>

Brigitta added. "I read that book. This is going to be so much fun seeing the story acted out."

Her older sisters acknowledged the fact that they had read it too. Maria read what was printed under the marque.

"_Come take a mad musical romp through Wonderland._ _A tumble down a rabbit's hole leads Alice to a curious playground filled with fantastic characters like a grinning Cheshire Cat, an eccentric Mad Hatter, the rapping duo of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and, of course, the bossy Queen of Hearts. Join Alice and the Mad Hatter for a mad tea party._

"I believe we're going to see a fascinating play." Maria concluded as they became quiet to enter the theater. By the time the play began, every seat was taken.

They weren't disappointed. The scenery, the songs, the actors and actresses and all the antics held them spell-bound. No one had words to describe the wonderful play they had seen.

The theater had been so crowded; it took many minutes for the group to leave. It wasn't quite the dinner hour. The adults knew they could have a small bowl of fruit cocktail before it began. Their rather light lunch had left them feeling empty.

Since they were all alone in the dining room, it didn't take long for their dinner selections to be served. They ate first and then discussed the play. As the dining room began to fill up, the group knew to leave so others could be served.

Georg lagged behind the others leaving the dining room. He was engaged in conversation with an American passenger who happened to work for a bank. He had asked him.

"Are the American banks solvent again?"

"Yes, most are doing quite well. I only wish our people had more work. Even our theater district in New York City is still suffering."

"That's true for most of Europe. Only England seems to be doing a little better."

Neither man mentioned the growing German threat. Soon the man heard his wife calling him. Georg walked with him to the door; Georg went in the opposite direction. When he approached the family's cabins, he heard their gibber-jabber before he saw them standing in the passageway.

He looked twice at the group before asking. "Children, where's your Fräulein?"

"She went up on deck, Papa."

"Did she say why, Brigitta?"

"No Papa, she mumbled something about needing to think. I think you should go find her. Maybe she needs to talk to someone."

"I suppose I could be that someone."

After Georg had entered the stairwell, Liesl made a comment. "I hope Fräulein Maria is alright; she looked awfully worried."

"Maybe your Papa can find out what's on her mind. We can wait here for them to come down."

They took Uncle Erwin's suggestion; they waited.


	13. The Conversation

The Conversation

Maria had begun to have thoughts about America; specifically what would she do once they arrived. And Kurt didn't help when he reminded her they would be there in two days. She hadn't wanted the children to see her worry. She had told them. "I'm going up on deck for a few minutes."

Georg wasn't blind to her preoccupation. He had observed those times when she appeared to be in deep thought. He really was concerned.

When he got up on deck, he saw her leaning against the rail. Although it was dark, he could tell she was staring at the night sky. He didn't make an effort to be quiet; he didn't want to scare her. Maria didn't turn; she knew it was him. She had expected the children to tell him where she had gone.

"I came up here to think; reality has set in. I'm sure you will want to place the children in schools in America. They need more than an education; they need to learn how to make friends."

"So you're wondering about your future."

She didn't answer him. She removed her hands from the rail. Georg saw her draw her sweater close to her and shiver slightly.

"Maria, you're getting chilled. Let's go in one of the enclosed rooms. I'll order some coffee for us."

"Thank you, I could use something hot to drink."

They didn't have far to walk; a steward saw them coming. He asked as he had been instructed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Yes, two cups of hot coffee, please. We're getting out of the cold damp night air."

"I'll have them momentarily, sir."

They entered one of the several small rooms in this part of the lounge. It was perfect for a couple; it had soft lightening and comfortable chairs around a small café table. It was a perfect place for a man and woman to talk.

"This is much better, Maria."

"Yes, I didn't realize how cold the night air would be."

Georg noticed she wasn't making eye contact with him. He didn't think too much about it as he sat across from her. The steward arrived with their coffee. He also brought a tray of cookies. Georg thanked him.

Maria took a sip. "This tastes really good, Georg. I'm already getting warm." She held on to her cup with both hands. She still wasn't making eye contact with him.

Georg hadn't planned this encounter with her; he started an honest conversation.

"Maria, recently I had been remembering my conversation with Helena when she told me about her brother. I was worried about finding a replacement for her. It pleased me that she had already spoken to you.

"I must admit; I was concerned. I wondered if you had the experience and maturity to be a governess and teacher to my seven children.

"On the day I met you, I immediately realized my worry was for nothing. You weren't intimidated by my military bearing or the rules I had against playing games and singing. I was very pleased you appreciated reading as much as I did.

"Maria, they liked and respected Helena. And I know they were sad when she had to leave them. I was amazed it only took a few days before my children bonded with you. I still can't explain it."

"Georg, your children made me feel welcomed; they're very loving children."

"Maria, you have also helped me." Georg noticed Maria had finally looked at him. Her eyes were slightly squinted; her forehead had a slight furrow. Georg took her look as a sign she was definitely intrigued and curious. His smile was soft and pleasant as he continued his story.

"I wrote to Sidney about how you had cracked my shell. You made me realize, my demeanor was caused by grief; first the grief of losing the navy and the absolutely awful grief caused by Agathe's death. It took a terrible toll on me. All of which I should have been able to put behind me; I knew I was being unfair to my children."

Maria immediately had a retort. "Georg, you're being very hard on yourself. No one is ever prepared for grief. My aunt told me when I got older that I had cried myself to sleep for several years. She was wise not to scold me; she believed one day it would stop. And it did. Helena had told me about your losses. I knew being around your children didn't help you resolve your grief."

"You must have learned from your aunt. You never said a word to me."

"I knew better. I subtly tried to bring happiness to your home in hopes it would help you."

"It must have. I can't explain how or when this occurred. All I knew was the dreadful ache in my heart began to diminish shortly after we met. I think I speak for both of us. We became friends."

"Yes we have Georg."

Maria now looked directly at Georg. She couldn't help but notice the sparkle in his eyes and the intriguing smile he held. A smile which made her ask.

"Is there more you want to tell me?"

"There is. Do you remember at dinner our first night on the ship when the steward called you, _Mrs.?"_

"I do." Georg saw Maria's tiny timid smile.

"Have you heard others on the ship refer to us as couple?"

Maria didn't hesitate to answer him. "Yes, as well as comments, like; _I know she's his second wife but his children adore her_."

"Do their comments bother you?"

"Not really, I'm glad people can tell your children and I have a special bond."

"Maria, do you remember the day I told you that you are the most charming, delightful young woman I have ever known?"

"Yes, and I told you, you were exaggerating." She couldn't help but give out a quiet laugh and smile fully as Georg continued.

"And I refuted you by saying you had brought _Joy de Vive_ to my home. When I began to learn the German's intent to take over Austria, all l I could think about was protecting my family from their evil. And then one day you came and asked about celebrating Christmas. Your request forced me to share the inevitable truth; that we would need to leave Austria one day.

"Maria, I had hated having to burden you with that information but you were not fazed. We then we began to discuss gifts for the children. You explained your ideas to them so well; none of them realized the real reason. We went on to have a wonderful celebration with the children's uncles.

"And I must tell you I smile every time I remember your encounter with the young boys. I knew that was a warning. I wasn't at all surprised when Erwin arrived to give me our travel plans.

"Maria, I know now I couldn't have escape Austria if you hadn't been with us. You were able to ready my children to leave without any of them becoming hysterical. Maria, you've become like a mother to them. They love you and so do I."

Georg saw Maria's startled look. She now turned and looked directly at him and asked. "What did you say?"

"Let me tell you again. Maria, I love you and have for many weeks."

Now he saw her swallow hard and heard her speak very quietly. "How do you know you love me?"

"Maria, sometimes you know instantly you're very attracted to a woman. It was like that for me and Agathe. It was almost love at first sight. For most people it's a feeling which comes slowly.

"Maria, since the very first day we met, I felt your warmth. It's a subtle first sign of an attraction between a man and woman. It sometimes begins to make you feel other things; like flutters in your stomach or you feel your heart beat faster. You're smiling, Maria."

"I know I am. All this is a new to me. I have experienced those things but I had no idea what they meant. And I couldn't understand why my heart ached after we said goodnight. And then I woke with eager anticipation of seeing you in the morning."

"My dear, you are a like a flower which has just bloomed. I've had similar feelings."

"So that was why you came and sat in on the children's lessons and now you choose to be with me and the children."

"Yes Maria it is and now I see an expression which is often seen when one has an _aha moment_. Does your heart have a response?"

Maria's joy filled expression became as bright as a Christmas tree. Her emotions overcame her; her eyes became misty. Still she was able to look at Georg's face.

"Georg, you have taught me what all my feelings mean. My heart and my mind are in sync. I can easily speak those three special words. I love you."

"Maria, darling, we need to seal our love."

Maria didn't question him. The table between them was tiny. Georg was easily able to gently cup Maria's cheek. She didn't flinch. He allowed his thumb to brush her lips. He did feel her head move a fraction as her eyes closed.

He didn't wait to bring his face closer to hers. His lips met hers with enough pressure to produce an indescribable feeling deep inside both of them. He left her lips to kiss along her jaw bone all the way to her temple.

Maria fell against his shoulder; her head nestled in his neck. There was silence. In their heads they could hear their rapid heartbeats.

Georg was the one who drew back to speak. "I have in my head the words to the song, _Apple Blossom Time_."

"Which verse Georg?"

"The one which says, _it's time to change your name to mine_."

Maria eyes got big as she spoke. "Georg, is that a proposal to get married?"

"It is, Maria. And I think seven children are expecting it. I'm sure the older children heard the steward and the passengers talk about us as a couple. And I'm not waiting for a wonderful day in May."

"You even have a date in mind."

"Maria, we are going to dock at a port in America in two days. It's a new start for all of us. I want no thoughts of any improprieties between us. I want to get married here on the ship. We need to make the children's deepest wish come true; their wish for you to become their mother."

"You are so full of surprises. Can we really get married on the ship?"

"We can. All ship captains have the authority to marry couples at sea."

"What are we going to tell the children?"

"I really don't want to tell them our plans. Brigitta seemed to think you needed to talk with someone. Hopefully, I can find the right words to satisfy her."

"I'm sure you can. It's a good thing its bedtime."

"Yes it is. I'll speak to the ship's captain first thing in the morning."

Both attempted to put on a different demeanor; they knew they needed to look happy. Georg reminded Maria. "Try to control your smile.

As they approached the door at the foot of the stairs they each took a deep breath. Georg slowly lowered the door handle to open it slightly. Immediately he heard Brigitta.

"They're coming."

She was the first to speak. "I see you found our Fräulein. Is she happy now?"

"Brigitta, she was never unhappy; she had things on her mind. We talked about arriving in America in two days. Like you, we're both ready for a new beginning."

"Children, I also know it's very late. Tomorrow will be another fun filled day; we need to get some sleep."

"Your Fräulein is correct. Go get ready for bed. Maria and I will come say goodnight."

The four men had stood quietly listening and observing. Once the children reluctantly went on to their cabins, they said their goodnights to the couple and departed.

Erwin motioned to Stefan and Phillip to follow him to his cabin. He closed the door. "I know both of you have been with Georg a long time. Did you see his face?"

"Oh yes, the same expression he held for Agathe."

"My observation too, Stefan. I'm sure they confessed their love and I'm positive they plan to marry on the ship. You heard Georg say they're ready for a new beginning.

And Sidney added. "There's that indisputable glow a woman gets after a man asks her to marry him. I saw it often with couples at the lodge. I was accused of putting a love potion in the water. We need to help him pull this off."

"In the morning, I'll go up and hangout on the deck by the wheelhouse."

"Good idea Erwin, the three of us will find ways to keep the children busy."

Meanwhile, Georg and Maria made the rounds of the cabins; the older children were all in bed reading. After saying goodnight, the girls received a kiss on the cheek and Kurt was assured they would still play games tomorrow. And each received a reminder not to read too long.

Marta and Gretl were in their beds, waiting for Maria to read them a story. She didn't disappoint them. Georg sat on Maria's bed and listened to her read. Neither was surprised they had both fallen asleep before Maria said, "the end."

He whispered. "Sleep well, darling."

Her voice was also hushed. "You too, Georg."

He left after blowing her a kiss. Maria leaned against the closed door. She was thinking. How will I ever get to sleep?

She didn't remember how or when she had fallen asleep; she knew it was morning by the knock on the door. The girls were still asleep when she opened the door. Georg whispered.

"I'm going to try and see the captain. Tell everyone I went for an early morning walk. I'll meet you at breakfast."

He left Maria after planting a quick kiss on her lips; she was floating. Her smile became normal after she had dressed and was waking the girls. They weren't difficult to wake. They never took long to dress. Even their hair was simple to brush and comb. It had grown since Maria met them. Marta had small ponytails. Gretl always had two short braids.

"Now you're both presentable. I hear your brothers and sisters. I'm sure everyone is ready for breakfast."

Instead of hearing Kurt tell how hungry he was; Friedrich immediately asked.

"Where's our papa?"

Sidney responded. "I passed him on the top of the ship walking; I'm sure he will join us for breakfast."

Maria was glad he had spoken instead of her; she thought her voice might give away their secret.

Up on the back of the Sport deck, the ship's captain had emerged from his quarters. He took in a breath of the morning's cool fresh air. He spotted Georg walking in his direction.

"Good morning sir, are you up here to enjoy the cool fresh air?"

"I do enjoy it but I came to ask for a few minutes of your time."

"No problem, we can go in the Boardroom. Follow me."

Once inside the captain grabbed the pot of coffee and without asking poured them both a cup. He then turned to Georg with an out stretch arm and spoke. "I'm Robert Scott."

They shook hands as Georg spoke. "Georg von Trapp, sir."

"Georg, I know who you are. My government has been working with Dulles for many months. I was also informed you have two fellow officers who escaped with you."

"Yes, that is correct. I hope my third officer and his family have also left Austria."

"They have, Georg. They're on the ship."

"I can't believe I haven't seen them."

"I don't think they know you are onboard. They're in cabins close to that large restaurant in the middle of the ship. James and his son have been practicing their tennis game. Carol and Martha have spent most of their days, shopping. Now tell me what brings you to see me."

Georg told him the story of how he met Maria. "I've married many couples. I must say your story is the most unique. Most of the couples like to marry in the late afternoon. The sun shines through the stained-glass window of the chapel perfectly. It's close to the Veranda Grill; there's also a special room for wedding receptions.

"Maria will be pleased. I have one favor. Ask James and his family to enter after we are standing before you. It will be too much of a surprise to my children to see them."

"I can arrange it. My secretary will take care of all the details. You may want to find the chapel; it's rather hidden inside the Verandah Grill. Any steward on duty can help you."

The two officers shook hands. The ship's captain turned towards the wheelhouse. Now Georg had the difficult task of wiping his smile from his face. He hurried to the dining room.

He had no idea Erwin was waiting in the shadows.


	14. Secret Planning

Secret Planning

By the time Georg found his family in the passageway near the dining room, his smile of extreme happiness was replaced by a more normal one. Maria had been discreetly watching for him. She wasn't at all surprised when he spoke.

"Did everyone have a goodnight's sleep?"

"We did, Papa. Did you enjoy your walk?"

"I did Brigitta. The air was crisp; it was quite refreshing."

"We're hungry, Papa. Can we go to the dining room now?"

"I need a moment before I'm ready."

Sidney suspected he wanted a moment alone with Maria. "Come on everyone; I'll take you. Your papa and Fräulein will come when they're ready."

Neither Georg nor Maria realized why Sidney offered to go on ahead with the children. Georg took advantage of the moment.

"Now I can greet you properly, with a kiss."

"Here in the passageway, Georg?"

"No one's here Maria."

He didn't wait. His lips met Maria's for a soft but slightly lingering kiss.

"Maria, I plan to begin each day with a kiss and the words, I love you."

"You're very romantic, darling. Did you speak with the captain?"

"I did. We will be married at four in the ship's chapel. His secretary is making all the arrangements for a reception in the nearby restaurant."

"Oh goodness, now we have many hours to keep this all a secret. We must keep busy."

"We'll find a way."

The four men along with Katia were ready to help them. Up on the deck below the wheelhouse, Erwin came out of the shadows. Captain Scott caught a glimpse of him before he turned to climb the ladder to the control room.

"Captain, I'm Erwin Auersperg. I'm one of Georg's fellow navy officers. I came to offer my services to help facilitate the wedding."

"Excellent, Erwin; I'm Robert Scott. I wasn't quite sure how to arrange for my secretary to meet with Maria."

"I'll find a way; tell me how much time she needs."

He listened closely as the captain explained. "So, I need to have Maria at the chapel by three o'clock."

"Yes, that's correct. She will have time to select a gown to wear."

"Maria's going to be so surprised; I'm sure she never thought she would wear a wedding gown."

"Most Brides are surprised. My secretary will also have several rings she can choose from; I'll have man's rings for Georg. They both can exchange them in the jewelry store, if they want something different."

"I don't think either is picky. They really want to begin life in America as a married couple. I'll have Maria at the chapel at three and tell Georg to be there by three-thirty."

"Maria will be in the Brides' room; Georg can come into the chapel. I also told him your other officer from the Navy is onboard."

"James Lewis sir, that's wonderful."

"Georg asked that they enter after he and Maria are in front of me. He thought the children would be very excited to see them."

"Yes, they would be. Let me go join the family for breakfast before I'm missed."

Erwin used a set of stairs which would bring him close to the family dining room. He was able to slip in and take his seat unnoticed.

Georg was explaining the new choices which were on the breakfast menu. "Children, today they have cold cereals on the menu."

"Can you tell us more about them?"

One of the waiters quickly spoke. "I can tell your children, sir."

"Thank you, I wasn't sure how to explain them."

He began. "Cold cereals are prepared grains which are served with milk; most people add a little sugar to them. On the menu today are three choices. _Force_ is a name of a toasted whole wheat flake cereal. _Post Toasties_ are toasted flakes made from corn. Your final choice is _Puffed Rice_. As the name says it is made from rice which has been heated at a very high temperature which makes them explode into puffs of rice. They are dried and put into a box for later enjoyment.

"Most people don't find them very filling. They usually order an egg and wheat toast to go with them. Now, who wants to try one of the cereals?"

The waiter wasn't surprised that everyone wanted to try them; and that most added an egg and toast to fill them up.

The family was served. Everyone began with the cereal. They had comments. "This puffed rice is really bland."

"The Post Toasties don't have much flavor either; I'm glad I ordered eggs and toast."

And Katia added. "These dry cereals could put a cook out of business."

Georg was quick to respond. "Never Katia, the waiter was correct. They're not very filling. Your job is secure."

Kurt quickly added, "And I agree with Papa." He gave Katia a big smile. And all the others nodded.

When Sidney noticed everyone had finished eating, he took charge. "Children, come with me. Let's go find the playroom with the small shuffleboards. Katia you can come with us too."

Stefan and Phillip had already left, supposedly to take a walk. Sidney herded them out before Maria could speak. Erwin spoke to both of them. "I know your plans. Georg, you need help pulling this off. I spoke to the ship's captain after you did.

"Maria, his secretary, Charlotte, needs to meet you in the chapel at three o'clock. She'll help you get ready. And Georg you should go the chapel around three-thirty."

"How are we going to be able to get away without being noticed by the children? You know how Brigitta is."

"And who's going to get the children there?"

"The five of us will get them there; don't worry. Right now, you both should go to the playroom with the shuffleboards. Philip is waiting for you at the end of the passageway."

Erwin had his own task. He decided to go find the chapel. The captain had given him general directions. When he arrived at the Verandah Grill he asked the steward on duty.

"Can you direct me to the chapel?"

"I can do better; I'll take you there."

Erwin was surprised to find the steward taking a very intriguing path. The steward must have sensed his thoughts. He told Erwin the history of the chapel.

"As you can see sir, the chapel is rather hidden. We were told it was an afterthought. One of the female interior designers suggested they find a place for it. Couples seem to like the fact it is not in view of all the passengers.

"There's a door to another passageway on the right; it's rather short. You will see the chapel immediately. I'll let you enter first."

He held the door for Erwin. He saw the sign over the double doors with the frosted glass inserts: _**The Royal Wedding Chapel**_. He knew the inside was going to live up to the word royal.

"Take your time, sir. Have a good look around."

Erwin's eyes were drawn to the stained glass window on the large podium for the bride and groom. It looked like fine crystal. The center was filled with small pieces of shimmering glass connected with silver solder. Along the top and sides were piece of glass lightly colored in pastels of lavender, rose, yellow and green. The bottom edge had glass features shaped like diamonds, as in a ring; with a big stones and two smaller ones on the side.

The room itself was decorated in fine light mahogany wood. The pews used the same colored wood. The seat cushions were upholstered in an off-white material. The backs of the pews used light brown mustard yellow.

"This is lovely; it's not overly decorated."

Erwin knew it was perfect for his friends. As they left, he paid attention to the way back to the main deck. He addressed the steward.

"I thank you for your time, I know my way from here."

"Very well, there's always one of us nearby should anyone need directions."

Erwin's walk took him by the theater where the family had seen, _Alice in Wonderland_. There was a new sign. It announced

**The Mickey Mouse Club  
>Meets at one-thirty today<strong>

"Perfect for the family," he whispered to himself. He continued on to find the playroom with the shuffleboards. He heard them before he arrived at the door. They were having the best time. He didn't attempt to converse with Georg; he knew he trusted him.

Gretl saw him. "Guess what I can do, Uncle Erwin."

"I'm not a good guesser, tell me."

She blurted out. "I can play shuffleboard."

"You're getting mighty big, Gretl. Did everyone have fun?"

"We did. Fräulein Maria and Papa played too."

"We need to head off to lunch soon. I have another surprise for everyone after we eat."

He spoke loud enough for Georg to hear; their eyes caught. Erwin saw Georg nod. He took the hint.

"Children, we need to thank our instructors. We're going to need to stop by our cabins before we go on to the dining room."

Erwin heard the instructors tell them many times. "Everyone learned so quickly; and you played so well together." And he also heard each child thank them.

The group didn't take long to be ready to go on to the dining room. Suddenly, everyone realized they were very hungry. Their breakfast hadn't filled anyone. They were anxious to get there. The menu had their favorites and their selections were served promptly.

When Gretl finished she spoke. "Uncle Erwin, can you tell us our surprise now?"

"All I'll tell you is that we are going back to the theater where you saw _Alice in Wonderland._"

"Another play, Uncle Erwin?"

"No Brigitta, but I'm sure you will have lots of fun."

After using the facilities, the group followed Erwin. He knew the sign would give away his secret. He was surprised it was Marta who read it.

"What's a Mickey Mouse Club, Uncle Erwin?"

"I don't know exactly; I'm sure you will have fun. Let's go in."

When he opened the door to the theater, he immediately heard children's chatter and then saw the large number of children already assembled. He also noticed all the adults were sitting in the back.

A steward was there to give directions. "The children need to sit close to the stage. This is a very interactive experience."

Maria was concerned. "Georg, who's going to watch Marta and Gretl?"

"Maria, you're already fretting like a mother. Liesl and Louisa are old enough to watch them. We'll be able to see them."

Reluctantly, Maria watched them both go off with the older girls. They found seats in the very front row. And Georg found them seats so they could keep an eye on them. Maria grabbed Georg's hand for a gentle squeeze. He did likewise.

In moments a theater spokesperson took the stage. "Children, parents, we are happy to bring you to an engagement of the first Mickey Mouse Club on board a cruise ship. In America, there are thousands of youngsters who are members.

"To help us get started there are several members of the clubs in America ready to help us. Please welcome, Sarah, Evelyn, Helen, Jane, Linda, Susan, David, Michael, Robert and Frank."

They waived to the children as they came on stage. Gretl's voice traveled to where Georg and Maria were sitting. "Look Liesl, their shirts have their names on them and they're all wearing mouse ears."

"I see, Gretl. Let's listen."

"That's right children by the time the club meeting is over, each of you will receive your very own mouse ears, membership card and official button. Now who wants to be first to spin the wheel to see what we do next?"

Gretl bounced up with her hand raised. "I do!"

"Alright, why don't you and your sister come up on stage?"

"Come on Marta, let's go."

Both Maria and Georg held looks of surprise and wonder as they watched the girls take the attendant's hand and go on stage. Maria whispered. "I can't believe it; neither seems scared."

Georg whispered back. "I'm almost in shock."

The attendant had heard the girls' names. "Gretl, why don't you spin the wheel? Marta you can read the selection."

"That's right; hold the peg and pull down and let go."

The wheel came to a stop; Marta read. "Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse's first talking movie."

"Thank you girls, let the movie begin."

They took their seats as the curtain covering the back of the stage opened. From a projector perch in the back, a movie projector began to project the movie on to the screen.

Adults and children laughed; especially when Mickey said _Hot Dog_ for the first time and repeated it over and over. After then they played all kinds of games; including a game of charades. The von Trapp children did very well even though these were all knew charades. Several club members helped the older children put on skits. And there were several more cartoons including the one which introduce Minnie Mouse.

Everyone was having so much fun; the time passed quickly. About ten minutes before three, Georg and Maria exited the theater without being noticed. He led them to the Verandah Grill. Captain Roberts had prepared the stewards; one was waiting after they had entered.

"Hello, I know where you are headed. It's not far; but it is hidden from the general public."

Neither had a comment; they were much too excited. As the steward approached the door off of the passageway, they both saw a lady standing by the door with a very pleasant smile.

"I'm Charlotte. You must be the bride and groom."

"Yes, we are. I'm Georg. I brought my fiancé, Maria, to see you. I'll leave her in your hands. I'll return to my cabin to get ready."

"Very well, Maria, come with me. You'll see Georg at the altar."

Maria tried to hide her giddy emotions as Charlotte led her away. But what she saw when Charlotte opened another door had her hands to her face in disbelief.

She stuttered. "I…I never dreamed I would wear a wedding gown."

Charlotte held a small laughing smile. "You're like all the others. I have them grouped by size. Let's head over this way. Maria, there are several to choose from; take your time."

"I'm a simple person; I know I don't want too much lace and definitely nothing revealing."

"Let me hang a couple over here that I think you will like. I have many which come from America. One is a new design with a drop waist and long sheer sleeves."

The dress which caught Maria's attention was one of those; she immediately felt it. "This material is so soft; and I love all this satin smocking. And this satin ribbon embroidery on the front of the bodice and around the slight V-neck and on the edges of the skirt gives it elegance."

"Why don't you go in the dressing room and put it on? I'll look for a veil."

The dress was easy to put on; it slipped over her head. Even the armholes for the sleeves were easy to find. Maria straightened it before looking in the mirror. She gasped and was holding back tears when she heard.

"Are you dressed, Maria?"

"I am." She choked out quietly.

Charlotte entered. "It's a perfect fit; you are definitely an American Bride. This is the veil I chose; it too is very American. The headband will hold it in place without any hair pins."

"Do you like it?"

"I do."

"I'll put it on after we finish getting you ready. Now you need to find shoes to fit you."

"You have shoes too?"

"Of course I do. Sit down. I'll bring a few pairs for you to try on."

Maria tired on three and decided on a flat shoe made from a very soft leather.

"Is it comfortable? Remember you will be dancing."

"Yes, it's comfortable. I still can't believe all this."

"I know it's overwhelming. Now you need to look at my collection of rings. You can't get married without a ring. Your husband-to-be is doing the same."

Maria had very dainty fingers. She found a small rounded gold band; it fit her to a tea and wasn't ostentatious.

"And the last thing you need is a bouquet to carry. Then you will be ready."

"Oh my, these are all so beautiful."

"The colors match the colors in the stained glass window."

Maria chose a small bouquet which contained dainty peach and lavender roses along with stems covered in tiny white-pale green blooms and a few purple carnations. The handle was covered in ivory ribbon with a simple bow accent.

"A perfect choice, Maria. Now let me place your veil and you will be ready."

Charlotte opened the large sequined speckled headband and placed it on her head and dropped the veil over her face; it fell slightly below her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Georg had shaved again. His choice of attire was a white long sleeved shirt with his Maria Theresa Medal instead of a traditional tie. His dark navy-black suit had been pressed.

After buttoning the last button on the shirt, he dumped the contents of a small pouch on his bed. His goal was to find his officer cufflinks but his eye was drawn to a gold band. He held it between his thumb and first finger. His eyes became misty as he whispered.

"Agathe, I know you know everything. I also know you are pleased. Maria taught me we both needed to find God's plan for us. Maria also knows you will still hold a special place in my heart; our children will remind me. I brought along a few pictures to help keep their memories alive. I'm sure the older girls did too.

"It's time for me to finish dressing. Our children are going to be so surprised but very happy. They've loved Maria a long time. I know you will be there."

Georg took a deep breath and quickly found his officer cufflinks and finished dressing. He was on his way back to the chapel by the time the Mickey Mouse Club meeting was ending.

Each of the children had their mouse ears, membership card and button and were chatting very loud. Erwin had the task of calming them to hear his directions. No one had noticed Georg and Maria were missing. He and Katia directed them back to their cabins to freshen up.

It was when they exited did Brigitta ask. "Where are Papa and Fräulein Maria?"

"They went on ahead to our destination; we need to meet them there. Let's go."

He herded them like sheep down the passageway and up the stairs towards the Verandah Grill.


	15. The Wedding

The Wedding

Georg hurried to the chapel. He was truly ready to enjoy married bliss with Maria. When he entered the door leading to it, Captain Robert Scott was waiting for him. He led them to a small room close to the entrance.

"I must say, Georg. You look really sharp. Which medal are you wearing?"

"My Maria Theresa commendation, sir."

"Georg, no need to be so formal, I'm Robert. Now I have a surprise for you. You need to select a ring. Maria is doing the same."

"Robert, I never expected a ring."

"All my grooms are surprised. In America, rings are very important; even during the depression they were exchanged."

"My, you have a large selection. Neither Maria nor I are fancy people; I'm sure she has selected a simple plain gold band. I'll do the same."

Georg had to try on several before he found one which fit; for a man he had rather slender fingers. His thoughts turned to his children; they're going to be so surprised. In a second their voices brought him out of his thoughts.

He heard Liesl. "The Royal Wedding Chapel…oh dear, are Papa and Fräulein Maria getting married?"

"Are they Uncle Erwin?"

"Yes, Gretl they are."

Then both Georg and the children heard another voice. "You must be the von Trapp children. I'm Charlotte. Your Fräulein is all ready to get married. Now let me show what she wants you to do. Follow me into the chapel."

Georg was curious about Maria's idea; but he would have to wait. He knew he didn't need to worry. He and Robert waited for the moment to enter the chapel. He didn't hear his children as they entered.

"This is so pretty. I've never seen such a unique stained glass window."

"You must be Liesl."

"Yes, that's right."

"The stained glass always elicits similar comments. Maria told me all your names; let's see if I remember. She wants you to be able to see her when she walks down the aisle. Marta and Gretl, since you are the youngest, you need to stand by this pew facing the back of the chapel.

They did as she asked. Charlotte walked to the next pew which was four from the very first pew. Here she gave another direction.

"Behind Gretl, I need Brigitta by this this pew."

She raised her hand. "That's me." She took her place.

"Opposite Brigitta, I want Kurt behind Marta."

He didn't speak; he followed her directions.

"Louisa you need to be behind Kurt. Friedrich, you will behind Brigitta and Liesl you can stand behind Louisa. For now you can sit in the pew."

Charlotte then addressed the adults. "Katia and Erwin, you are the couples' designated witnesses. You need to stand at the foot of the bridal platform. Children, once your Fräulein arrives to stand next to your father, I want you to walk down the aisle and sit in the very front pew. Sidney, Stefan and Phillip can sit on the second pew. Does anyone have a question?"

She saw heads shake and there was silence. "Very well, the ceremony will begin soon. I see the gramophone operator has arrived. In a moment he will play a quiet piece of music. The next song will begin with three trumpet notes. That will be your cue to stand and turn to see your Fräulein. I need to go tell her, you are ready."

While Charlotte had instructed the adults and children, Robert was doing the same for Georg. Their cue was the beginning of the first song. In less than five minutes, the music began. Robert and Georg entered the chapel. Immediately, Georg noticed each of his children was sitting alone in a pew.

He smiled as he thought. This was Maria's idea. He didn't know each child's smile became fuller as he passed by them. Only when he and Robert arrived at the bridal platform did he see their faces when he turned to face them. Each was beaming with happiness.

Robert had taken his place on the elevated platform. Only three or four minutes past before the first trumpet note sounded, the children stood and took their place in the aisle next to the pew looking towards the rear of the chapel. Katia and Erwin came forward to stand on either side of Georg.

Everyone's eyes were fixated on the rear of the aisle. Maria had quietly come from her hiding place. Her comfortable shoes hadn't made a sound. She saw the children standing as she had requested; her heart was full.

Now she caught Georg's' face; her fast heart didn't scare her, neither did the flutters in her stomach. Even the thought of becoming Georg's wife didn't faze her. She loved him more than she ever felt was possible. And the thought of gaining instant motherhood was a happy one.

Georg saw his Bride. Even he felt his heart speed up. He had only one thought. She's so beautiful. His eyes stayed on her.

After the trumpet notes, the rhythm of the music enticed Maria to make a slow walk down the long aisle. She hardly saw the children as she past them; her eyes were now on Georg's face. Her eyes became slightly misty as she walked. Still they remained focused on him.

When Maria arrived at the bridal platform, she and Georg exchanged smiles. The children were now seated on the front pew.

Captain Scott began the ceremony while James and his family quietly entered; they stayed in the very back.

"It's my great pleasure to marry couples. You two have one of the most unusual paths to recognizing your loving relationship. I begin with those famous words. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness this couple's exchange their vows of marriage."

Robert could see the children's expectant faces as he continued.

"Marriage is a way of life, given by God, so that the husband and wife may provide each other companionship, help, comfort, joy and most of all love. Those famous words from First Corinthians teach us about love.

Love is patient and kind; Love is not jealous or boastful;  
>Love is not arrogant or rude; Love does not insist on its own way;<br>Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices with the right.  
>Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,<br>Endures all things.  
>Love never fails.<p>

"Georg and Maria, we honor and rejoice with you as we witness your vows to love each other and to come together as one into the blessed state of marriage."

"Georg, please lift Maria's veil."

Again their smiles caught as he lifted it and let it fall on the back of her head. Katia was there to smooth it into place and to receive Maria's bouquet.

Robert saw each take a deep breath. He waited a couple of seconds before he began.

"Please turn and face each other and hold hands."

The couple was in their own world. They looked deeply into the others eyes. Their hands were joined in a soft embrace. Robert began with their vows.

"Georg, do you take Maria to be your wife, your partner and your one true love. Will you promise to tenderly care for her, respect her individuality, to cherish her as she is, and to faithfully love her continually? And do you promise to laugh in times of happiness; to give strength in times of need? And through good time and bad, will you trust her, be faithful to her and commit yourself to her for the rest of your life?"

"I will." Georg tightened his hold on Maria's hands ever so slightly.

"Maria, do you take Georg to be your husband, your partner and your one true love. Will you promise to tenderly care for him, respect his individuality, to cherish him as he is, and to faithfully love him continually? And do you promise to laugh in times of happiness; to give strength in times of need? And through good time and bad, will you trust him, be faithful to him and commit yourself to him for the rest of your life?"

"I will." Maria then initiated a squeeze of their hands.

Robert paused a moment. "Georg, take your ring and place it on Maria's finger. Let your heart speak."

His hand had no quiver as he held the ring. Georg easily slid it on the ring finger of Maria's left hand.

"I love you, Maria. This ring is a symbol of my unending love. I want the world to know you are my wife."

Again Robert paused to give Maria time to take Georg's ring; her hand didn't shake either. She needed a few seconds to gather her thoughts.

"I place this ring on your finger realizing fully my great love for you. It will tell the world my heart belongs to you and you alone. I love you, Georg."

They each took a deep breath; both realized they were officially married.

Robert had a few closing words before the finale.

"Remember being a bride and groom is only for a day but being a husband and wife is a life time commitment. Your love should always be stronger than your anger. A lasting marriage needs the wisdom of compromise or else you are guaranteed to have conflict.

"Always believe the best of your beloved rather than the worst. Confide in your partner and ask for help when you need it. And remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship. Be sure to give your spouse the same courtesies and kindness you bestow on your friends. And it is most important to say "I love you" every day."

The couple couldn't help but smile at the last reminder. Robert continued.

"May life grant you patience, tolerance and understanding as you enter the greatest journey of your life.

"And now in as much as you have agreed to enter the marriage relationship, having exchanged vows with sincere and devoted hearts, and have given and received rings as tokens of your love, it is now my honor and privilege to pronounce you husband and wife."

The children were so excited; they stood and were about to surround the couple. Robert immediately spoke.

"Whoa, children, there's one more thing they need to do."

Liesl smiled, she knew.

"Georg, you may kiss the bride."

No bride and groom plan their first kiss. They were no different. Their hands rested on their partner's upper arms. Georg did initiate it by leaning towards his bride; Maria met his lips halfway. It was a soft simple affectionate kiss; it wasn't meant to curl Maria's toes. They didn't hold it very long; but long enough for Friedrich and Kurt to shyly look away. All the girls smiled broadly.

Robert had the last words.

"I present to the world, Georg and Maria von Trapp."

Immediately Maria heard _Mom_ and _Mommy _from the children. Liesl saw her reaction.

"We want to be American children just like Michael and Martha address their parents."

A familiar voice now spoke. "I hope you don't mind, Georg."

He didn't have time to respond before Brigitta did. "That's Uncle James' voice."

Now everyone turned to see the Lewis family coming down the aisle. Brigitta continued. "Where have you been hiding?"

"We weren't hiding. We didn't know you were onboard. Our cabins are by the big restaurant in the middle of the ship."

Charlotte was there to give directions. "The ship's photographer, Al, has arrived to take a few pictures. Children, he won't take long."

Al had done this many times; he first directed Maria to stand on the platform, alone. He took several poses. "Georg, I want you to assume the position you had when you took your vows."

Georg and Maria complied; he snapped three pictures. "And now, I need a picture of the two of you together." Again the couple complied.

"Two more pictures, children; first you and your parents." Al helped position them so he could fit them in the frame of the camera. He took two. And then he added, Katia and the three men."

After Al took the last one, Charlotte announced. "You can continue your conversation in the reception room. Follow me."

Robert added. "I'll bring up the rear."

Charlotte led them out of the chapel and into the passageway. She turned right and proceeded to the next door. It opened into a very large room. It could easily accommodate over a hundred people but today is was set up for this small group. With Charlotte and Robert joining them; there were tables set up for twenty people.

Liesl again commented on the room's décor. "Mom, all the colors in here are also in your bouquet. The room is stunning."

"Yes, it is. All those pastel colored flowers make it look like spring time."

As they entered, waiters were uncorking bottles of Champaign as well as opening bottles of Welches White Grape Juice. Small fluted glasses were filled and the waiters began to serve them.

Maria spoke to her husband. "Georg, I've never had Champaign or any drink with alcohol in it."

Georg wasn't at all surprised; he knew Maria had a much simpler life than he had had. "Maria, you don't need to drink all of it. Just take a sip after everyone gives us their well-wishes in the form of toasts."

It was Erwin who offered the first toast. "Here's to the both of you. Let your love endure beyond the last sunset."

James was the last of Georg's friends." May your love be unending as your wedding rings."

Robert ended the toasting. "And now as my Irish ancestors would say. May God be with you and bless you. And may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward. Here's to both of you."

Robert raised his glass, a signal to all to drink up.

The friends circulated to speak to everyone. Liesl and Friedrich spoke with Michael and Martha. All were amazed they hadn't seen each other. Beverages and hordoevres were consumed while the waiters prepared the tables for dinner.

A small table for two was placed where the Bride and Groom could easily see all their guests. Soon the head waiter got their attention.

"Charlotte and I selected the menu for your wedding meal. The main course will be roasted pork with apples and cranberries cooked with it. The side dishes are mashed potatoes, green beans with a crunchy topping. Your meal will begin with a Jell-O fruit salad. Freshly baked rolls with fresh butter will complete your meal. Georg and Maria, you need to take your seats. Everyone else may be seated as soon as they do so."

Georg draped Maria's arm around his bent arm and escorted her to their table. They took their seats. Their children and friends found their places. Katia sat with Marta and Gretl; she knew they might need assistance cutting their meat.

Sidney remained standing to offer a grace, "May the God who fed the five thousand with three fish and two loaves of bread be present to bless the wedding feast. May He bless each one of us."

There was little conversation; everyone was hungry. No one had had a big meal for lunch. While they were eating, a small orchestra assembled in one corner of the room. Soon they began to play soft music.

Liesl knew her mom and dad needed to dance to the first song. She rose to go to the group's director. He saw her coming.

"Do you have a request, young lady?"

"I do, sir. Does your group know the song, _Apple Blossom Time?_"

"We do. Do you want it played as an instrumental or with our soloist?"

"Please play it as an instrumental. My dad may sing; he does know the words."

The orchestra's director was waiting until everyone returned to the room after using the facilities. He was in charge of this part of the reception. Georg and Maria were standing alone, talking.

"Maria, were you surprised you would wear a bridal gown?"

"Very surprised, Charlotte has a room full of selections. This one was my first choice. She told me in was very American. I'm sure you know I'm not one to dress in frilly or lacy clothes."

"It's perfect and you look absolutely beautiful."

The couple was brought out of their state of love when they heard. "The Bride and Groom may take the dance floor; I've had a special request for your first dance."

They both smiled. They had seen Liesl approach him.

As soon as the orchestra played the first few bars of the song, Georg recognized it. "They're playing our song, darling."

"I know. Are you going to sing along?"

"Maybe part of it."

The music had a slow waltz tempo. Maria followed Georg's lead and placed her hand in his; the other rested on his shoulder. She had never danced with a man but easily moved to the tempo of the music. Georg brought her closer as the song was ending and did sing.

"What a very, very wonderful day for you and me dear,  
>Church bells will chime<br>You will be mine,  
>In apple blossom time."<p>

They kissed when it ended and stood still as if in a trance. The orchestra's director broke the spell. "And now, sir, we will perform a new song for you to dance with your daughters, _Somewhere Over the Rainbow._"

The director gave Georg a few minutes to choose his first daughter. He had decided to go from youngest to oldest.

"Gretl, you're first. Let me pick you up and I'll move around the dance floor with you."

She giggled as he picked her up. Georg listened to a few bars before he moved; he easily picked up the easy rhythm as they waltzed in a circle. He did the same with Marta. His three oldest were able to dance with him in the correct position; Brigitta was more comfortable placing her hands on his upper arms. Louisa, who was still in that tomboy stage, knew how to dance; she was also a giggler. Liesl, was very much an almost seventeen year old; she smiled at her dad as they danced. Each knew what the other was thinking. _One day I'll (she'll) be dancing with a husband._

Charlotte had reminded the conductor to play a song which Maria could dance with the boys. He spoke. "And this song is for the Bride to dance with her sons."

Liesl had prompted Friedrich. "Mom, may I have this dance?"

"My, aren't you all grown-up. Yes, of course you may." They didn't giggle; they did smile broadly. Friedrich was very cautious; he knew he didn't want to step on her toes. Maria took the lead and waltzed him around the dance floor. Soon Kurt, who had also been prompted by Liesl, tapped his brother on his shoulder.

"It's my turn."

Maria couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Again she took the lead and moved them around the dance floor. The conductor quickly led into the next song. He also spoke.

"Now, everyone can dance; we will play a variety of music. Some will have rhythms which will be new to you; just feel the music and dance away."

The group had the best time. They danced to many different rhythms, the Fox Trot, Cha-cha-cha, the Charleston, many waltzes and a few polkas. No one had any idea what the time was. Charlotte knew. She whispered to the director. "It's cake cutting time."

In a moment, the orchestra concluded the selection they were playing; they got everyone's attention with a drum roll. Two waiters rolled a cart into the room. On it was a three tier cake frosted in all white icing with flowers and scroll designs around the edges; all in the same colors used in Maria's bouquet.

Charlotte gave directions as soon as it arrived in the middle of the dance space. "Georg and Maria, your place is right here. You need to make the first cut. Here's your souvenir knife."

"Georg, look it has a pearl handle."

"I see, darling."

Charlotte continued. "Maria, your hand holds the handle; Georg, yours goes on top of hers."

The photographer was there to snap a picture as they made the first cut. The children and their friends applauded. They stepped back to allow the cake cutters to serve them the first piece. The plate had two forks. Georg knew exactly what to do.

"Maria, get a small piece of cake on your fork. I'll do the same. Then we entwine our arms and feed each other."

The photographer timed it perfectly; and again the group applauded. They stepped away to finish their cake and to allow everyone to be served. They sat at the tables. Coffee and milk were also served.

Maria and Georg walked around, observing the children. The little girls had grown tired. Both had noticed but it was Georg who spoke.

"Everything has to come to an end. We've had a wonderful party. Tomorrow is our last full day on the ship. We need to be rested to enjoy it. Robert and Charlotte, you have made this a memorable day for Maria and I. We thank you."

Robert responded. "You're most welcome."

Everyone stood. Katia was with Gretl and Marta. She would walk with them back to their cabin. There she would explain that Maria would be sleeping with Georg.

He was speaking to James. "Come have breakfast with us. We eat in the family dining room on the Sun Deck."

"Ship's time Georg?"

He laughed. "Not quite, we usually get there around eight; Kurt's starving by then."

James laughed. "We'll be there."

They both saw Carol talking with Maria. James told her their breakfast plans. They found their two children. The von Trapp children were waiting by the door. They went their separate ways.


	16. One More Day

One More Day

Maria had seen Katia and the girls go off together. She surmised Katia was going to explain that she would be sleeping with Georg tonight. The thought didn't bother Maria; she loved Georg so much she knew he would take care of her.

Mark had escorted Katia and the little girls to their cabin. "Miss Katia, you have two very tired girls to get ready for bed."

"I know. It's been a long day, one full of excitement. Thank you for the escort."

"My pleasure," Mark opened the cabin door for her.

"Come on sleepy heads, let me help you change into your nightgowns."

Neither complained. They took their turn in the bathroom and crawled into their beds.

"Before I read you a story, I need to tell you something. Do you know that after a man and woman marry they sleep in the same bed?"

"Do they really?"

"They do Gretl, but don't worry I'll come back and sleep here with you. Now which story do you want me to read?"

"My _Goldilocks and Three Bears_ book, we both like it."

Katia was grateful they were too tired to ask any questions. They both were asleep before the end of the story. Katia proceeded to pack up Maria's things. She was placing the bag in the passageway as Georg and Maria approached.

"Are they asleep, Katia?"

"Before I finished their story, Maria, I told them I would be sleeping with them."

"Thank you, now I will sleep better. Georg, we should give them a kiss."

"Of course we should."

As they went in the cabin, Katia walked away smiling and thinking. They're so perfect together.

By the time the couple exited, the others had passed by. They went to each of the children's cabins and wished them a good night's sleep. They went back to pick up Maria's bag and walked arm in arm to his cabin.

"Come with me my dear to the royal bed chamber."

"Are you King Arthur and I'm Guinevere?"

"No, just little old me, your husband."

Maria leaned against him. Georg was glad she was at ease. He placed her bag on the extra rack which he pulled down from its hook on the wall. Maria was looking at the bed which had been turned down.

"Maria, come sit with me; the settee is perfect for us."

His arm went around her shoulder; he pulled her close and kissed her temple.

"Maria, relax; tonight is not the night for our first intimate moment. We married because we wanted to start life in America as a married couple. Our love is very strong. We will take our time learning how to be passionate."

Maria inhaled deeply. "Georg, you're so good to me."

"It's the right thing to do, darling. Why don't I use the bathroom first while you change? Do you need help getting out of your gown?"

"No, I just need to pull it over my head like I put it on."

"And I won't be very long."

Before Georg had shut the bathroom door, Maria had taken hold of the bottom edge and gathered it to lift it over her head. Then she carefully drew her arms from the sleeves. She found a hanger for it and hung it on a wall hook. She then found her nightgown on top of all her other clothes. She was covered by the time Georg slowly opened the door.

Maria had noticed. "I'm dressed, darling. I need my turn in the bathroom."

"It's all yours, dear."

Georg's smile was full and broad as he held a thought. How did I get so lucky to find a second wife who is as wonderful as my first?"

His heart was full as he took his place in bed. When Maria came out, he patted the place next to him. He lifted the covers and Maria took the place he had patted. Georg immediately took her in his arms for a goodnight kiss.

"We should get some sleep. I have a feeling the children will be awake early."

"Yes, they probably will. How do you like to sleep, Georg?"

"The same way I did for years on the submarine, flat on my back."

"Do you ever turn on your side?"

"No darling, it one does that on a sub, you may find yourself on the deck if it makes a sudden turn. The births are very narrow. How do you sleep?"

"I fall asleep on my side. I know I turn a lot. I'm usually on my other side when I wake."

"Then you can snuggle close to me. You can even drape your arm across me if you like."

Maria did as he asked. After final good nights, they both relaxed and fell asleep. Georg's internal ship alarm woke him. He was pleased to find Maria still cuddled close to him. He knew she had changed position in her sleep. Her movement had woke him.

He remembered being startled for a second, it had been over four years since he had slept with a wife; he also remembered smiling before falling back to sleep.

Maria probably felt his breathing change. She woke up. In a matter of seconds, she had reached over and initiated a kiss. He held on to her for an embrace.

"I like the way my wife thinks."

"So do I." Maria giggled. "We should get dressed before we hear voices outside our door."

"You go first. I need time to shave."

"I'll be quick."

Maria quickly found a dress to wear; she took it to the bathroom with her. In less than five minutes she had cleaned up and dressed. Georg took her place. Maria waited patiently for him.

"You didn't take long. How did you learn to shave so fast?"

"Years of experience, sweetheart. I need to sit to put on my shoes."

He hadn't finished tying them when they both heard. "I wonder if they're awake."

"Kurt must be starving." Georg whispered.

"I suppose we should make our presence known." Maria said as quietly.

"I'll open the door and confront the starving boy after we properly begin a new day."

Maria knew his intention. Simultaneously they spoke. "I love you," and kissed. "Now I'll open the door."

When he did, Kurt was standing there. "Is your stomach empty, son?"

"We're all hungry, Dad."

"Okay Brigitta, we can head for the dining room."

The couple let Kurt and Brigitta lead. Adam tagged along to be sure they didn't get lost. They found the Lewis family waiting for them.

"Children, why don't all of you sit at one of the big tables? We adults can all sit at the one next to it."

It was good that they were alone for now. Their chatter was quite loud. Everyone found a favorite on the menu. The waiters automatically filled their water glasses and served appropriate beverages. Each person was also served a bowl of cut up fruit. Their selections were served promptly.

No one wanted to linger after they had eaten; after all, this was their last full day on the ship. The entire group decided to watch the Shuffleboard tournament. They headed for the deck from which they could peer over the rail to see the contestants playing. After watching for less than thirty minutes, Liesl spoke.

"This game was fun to play but very boring to watch. Can we do something else?"

"I agree with Liesl." Martha continued. "We know where there is a large room full of bowling alleys. It's something we could all play."

"Martha's right." James affirmed. "I know the way; follow me."

They had the room all to themselves. Everyone played. Even the younger girls found the short ally and the small balls. They tried to keep score but they ended up playing for fun. The morning passed quickly.

Carol made a suggestion for lunch. "Everyone, there's a small American restaurant on the deck with all the stores. We could window shop while we're down there."

"Aunt Carol, that sounds wonderful. I'm anxious to see all the American styles."

"You're always interested in clothes, Liesl."

"I'm almost seventeen, Kurt. I should be interested in fashion."

"Kurt, there are stores which may interest you too."

He smiled at Carol. Georg and Maria exchanged side-ways glances but refrained from snickering. And James led this parade of people to the next elevator. It had to make three trips for this large group to get to the deck with the shops.

The group still had to traverse an extravagantly decorated extra-large staircase. At the bottom, they saw an equally elegantly decorated shopping district. One of the children spoke.

"Mom, is everything in America so elegant?"

Both Carol and Maria turned towards the voice. Maria answered Louisa. "I have no idea."

A near-by steward had an answer. "You only find this elegance in New York City; there is a lesser amount in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Most passengers find it fun to look at; I'm sure you will too."

The fashion young lady commented. "These fashions must be for the rich and famous; I wonder what everyday people wear."

"Liesl, I think that's for us to discover once we are settled."

"You're right Dad. I know I'll enjoy finding out."

"We all will." Carol concluded as they continued to walk around.

They had passed the window of a men's shop. It had young men mannequins. Kurt had a comment. "I know one thing; American boys don't wear short pants. Those mannequins have pants on just like yours, Dad."

"I see. Looks like I will need to take you shopping once we are settled."

Brigitta, Marta and Gretl didn't have much to say. Everything was too sophisticated for them. They had made the circle and Carol stopped in front of the restaurant. The menu was posted. It had everyone's favorite soup, tomato. And everyone wanted a club sandwich; served with dill pickles and potato chips. The restaurant also served those fizzy drinks.

As they finished, a waiter had a suggestion. "The ship has a brand new movie to show in the main theater. Its name is,_ The Wizard of Oz._ The most famous song from it is, _Somewhere Over the Rainbow_."

"Daddy, that was our dance song. Can we see it, please?"

"Yes, little one we can. Sir, do you know when it begins?"

"At two o'clock."

"Is everyone coming?" Georg directed his question at the men; they nodded.

"Then we better find our way; we want to have good seats."

Another steward took his cue. "I'll take you there. Follow me please."

Two elevators and a flight of stairs had them there in plenty of time. They had seats similar to their first movie. And like at their first movie, Gretl sat on Maria's lap and Marta was on Katia's. This movie began with a lion roaring from the middle of a big emblem.

The film began with a brownish tint to the movie screen. The audience was introduced to the actors and actresses. The first scene had a young girl walking down a country rode with a little dog running beside her. They passed a home with a beautiful garden. The dog began to run around in there, knocking down some blooms in the process. The owner, a crouchy middle-aged woman scolded him and tried to chase him away. She aggravated the dog and he nipped at her leg.

The young girl grabbed him and began to run home. There she found her family far too busy to listen to her. Their farm chores were more important. Soon the crouchy middle-aged woman came to the farm on a bicycle. She demanded the dog and she was going have him put away. The woman took the dog but he ran away and found the girl, whose name the audience now knew was Dorothy. She decided to run away so the crouchy middle-aged woman wouldn't be able to find her dog, Toto.

As they run away, they met a man who called himself a fortune teller. He told Dorothy her aunt was ill and she needed to return immediately. A terrible storm began. Dorothy took refuge in her bedroom. The storm was so fierce part of the roof caved in. A piece of wood hit Dorothy and knocked her unconscious.

Here the movie became imaginary. Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado's path and somehow end up in the Land of Oz.

There she meets some memorable friends and foes on her journey to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone had told Dorothy can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends, a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion, their goals of a brain, a heart and for the lion, courage.

In addition to the song, _Somewhere over the Rainbow_, they heard many more, including, _Ding, dong, the Witch is Dead, We're Off to See the Wizard_ and _The Merry Old Land of Oz._

During one scary part, Gretl whispered. "Are Dorothy and Toto ever going to get home?"

"I'm sure they will." Maria really was sure, after all it was a children's fantasy movie.

In one scene, Glinda, the good witch, told Dorothy to tap the heels of her ruby red shoes together three times and say._ There's no place like home._ After tearfully saying goodbye to her friends, the scarecrow, the tin man and the lion, she was magically transported home.

She woke up in her bed surrounded by her family, the farmhands, the fortune teller and Toto. Dorothy exclaims.

"I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And there's no place like home!"

The audience stood and applauded with gusto for several minutes. The ship's theater crew would report to the studio that _The Wizard of Oz_ was a big hit. This group of people would read all about it when they got to America.

Carol announced. "James and Michael left for their tennis match. I told James we would come watch. I think I know they way."

A steward heard her. "I can take this group, madam."

Carol smiled in relief; she really was unsure how to get there. The steward took a direct route; they were there before the match began. Maria had been thinking about her friend Annie.

"Georg, did I ever tell you that my friend Annie officiated at tennis matches the summer I came to you?"

"I don't remember, Maria. Did she do well?"

"She did. I hope she and her family are safe in Switzerland."

"I'm sure they are. I see the match is about to begin."

James and Michael played against another father and son team. No one understood the scoring of a tennis match; they never knew which two-some was winning. When it was over, the two teams shook hands. The only words everyone heard were, "great match."

James and Michael ended everyone's curiosity by telling them. "The match was called after the second set also ended in a tie. We were playing for the sport of it; winning wasn't important."

"Michael, how did you learn to play so well?"

"Liesl, Dad and I took a few lessons and then began to play often. We both enjoy the game."

They excused themselves to return to their cabins to change before dinner. They met up with the group in the family dining room. They began to reflect on this being the end of their last day on the ship.

Friedrich began. "I still can't believe we have traveled the distance from England in only four days."

"And those days have gone by so fast," Brigitta added.

Liesl asked. "Dad, do you know where we a going in America?"

"Mr. Dulles told me we would arrive at the port in Baltimore. That city is close to the United States' capital. His brother will be meeting us."

Now Adam spoke. "There's a huge map in one of the very fancy dining rooms. The dinner hour is over, I could take you there to see exactly where we are and where we are going."

"This ship is full of surprises. This map sounds very interesting."

"Most people say the same thing, Friedrich. Come on everyone, I'll take you there."

This restaurant was down two decks. As soon as they entered someone spoke everyone's thought. "This room is massive."

"Yes, it is. It can seat about a thousand people. The room is nicknamed, shades of autumn. The map is directly ahead."

"This certainly has a distinctive style."

"It does Georg; even we stewards don't understand the artistic lingo which describes it. I'm sure you can see buildings on either side."

"They must represent London and New York City."

"You're correct, James."

"And the ocean is blue."

"That's correct, Brigitta."

"I also see the moon, the sun and a beautiful crystal clock."

"I see them too, Mommy."

Maria drew Gretl close to her; she loved being mommy to her and Marta. Adam continued.

"Now look carefully in the center of the map. You should see two tracks."

"I can see them, Adam. What are they?"

"Can anyone find the crystal miniature of the ship?"

Michael pointed to it and then asked. "Does it travel on the track?"

"It does. Its position right now is slightly past the tip of Greenland. By the time you wake up in the morning we will have past the upper part of the coast of the United States. The Port of Baltimore sits inland. The ship cannot keep its speed as it travels there. It takes it about six hours to arrive at the dock. Captain Robert will need to keep his hand on the wheel at all times.

"Maybe one day after you are settled you can take the train to Philadelphia and on to New York City. Georg, both cities are worth a visit."

"I'm sure the children will remind me. There's also going to be a lot to see in the nation's capital."

"Yes, that is true, including several very large museums."

A familiar lady's voice was heard. "I thought I might find you here. I have your photographs. I packaged them between two pieces of heavy cardboard so they wouldn't get bent."

Maria took the package from Charlotte. "Thank you so much. I'll protect them."

"Adam, are you taking them to see the stars? It's a clear night; not like our last trip when it rained."

"I was about to tell them. Georg, I'm sure this will not be as awesome to you and the other men; you've seen the stars numerous times."

"That's true Adam, but God's sky is always spectacular. The children are in for a treat."

And they weren't disappointed. Robert had dimed the lights around one of the top decks so the stars would pop. Then he came from the wheelhouse to join them. He stood quietly as Georg helped all of them find the North Star, and the Big and Little Dipper. Only the navy men could find Orion, Gemini and several others.

"It makes us all in awe of God's creation."

"Well said, Maria. No matter how many times one sees them; they make you wonder what else is in the universe."

"Hello Captain Robert."

"Everyone I came to wish you well as you begin life in America. I'll be in the wheelhouse tomorrow navigating the ship up the bay to the dock."

"Adam told us about navigating the ship up the bay. I'm glad you came to see us tonight. I speak for everyone. Our cruise was perfect; we had a great time."

"You're most welcome. Adam will give you directions about tomorrow."

Before Robert departed, he shook hands with all the men. He then acknowledged all the children. Finally, all the ladies received a farewell kiss on their hand and a respectable bow.

Adam began his directions as he walked away. "In the morning you can leave your bags in your cabins; they will be taken to the VIP departure bridge. Breakfast will be a buffet; the chefs prepare an extensive spread. I will reserve a place for you to watch as the ship travels up the Chesapeake Bay to the cruise port near Baltimore. Does anyone have a question?"

Adam heard none and saw heads shake. "Then let's head back to your cabins. I'm sure you will want to pack most of your things tonight. Georg, one of us will be posted early. I'm sure no one will sleep late."

"I know you are correct. Children, your mom and I will make the rounds of the cabins to wish each of you a goodnights sleep."

On their way back, Georg heard several say. "I hope I can get to sleep; I'm really excited."

He chuckled but he was sure they would all fall asleep. When he and Maria made the rounds, they found them all in bed; some were talking, others were reading. They went to see Marta and Gretl. And as expected, they were already asleep; they received a kiss. And Katia got another "thank you" from Maria.

Once in their cabin, Maria commented. "I'm as bad as the children. I hope my excitement doesn't keep me awake."

"Let me order some milk and cookies. We can talk awhile."

The steward near their cabin had their order delivered in less than ten minutes. They changed before sitting together on the settee. Each drank half their milk and had two cookies before conversing.

"Georg, what do you know about our arrival?"

"Not a whole lot. Dulles told me his brother, John Foster Dulles, would meet us at the port. Even he didn't know where we would be taken. It could be a hotel or maybe directly to our home."

"I still can't believe how America is treating us. I hope we can live up to their expectations."

"Maria, the country wants all of the men to tell them all we know about the Germans; especially their navy. Erwin and James probably know the most. In time, I'm sure all of us will be called to assist in ways we can't even imagine. We better try and get some sleep."

"Let me use the bathroom again."

When Maria came out, Georg took his turn. The couple cuddled like last night. Maria felt Georg's breathing slow; she knew he was asleep. Another ability he learned in the navy, she thought.

She counted her blessings. In moments, she was also asleep.


	17. America

America

The anticipation of their arrival in America had everyone awake much earlier than usual including Marta and Gretl. Katia found them awake talking about it.

"Good morning girls, you must be excited."

"We want to see our new home."

"I'm excited too, Marta. Let's get dressed and pack all our things so we will be ready to go after breakfast."

By the time they did, the chitter-chatter in the passageway was loud. In the royal bed chamber, Maria and Georg had been awake for some time. "We better get up, darling. I have a feeling we will hear little people's voices soon."

"Georg, I'm as excited as they will be."

"Everyone will be excited, including me darling."

They took their turns in the bathroom as they had done yesterday. Now they were checking their room twice to be sure nothing was being left, except Maria's wedding gown. She and Charlotte had had a conversation. Charlotte had told her she could take the gown with her. Maria had told her. _It's going to be years before Liesl gets married. My dress's style will be out of fashion by then. I'll leave it the cabin._

Charlotte had concurred; she would have it cleaned and put back on her rack of gowns.

Georg placed both of their bags by the cabin's door. At the same time they heard the same chitter-chatter Katia was hearing. The couple walked to where everyone was gathered.

"Did everyone check their cabin twice?"

"I reminded everyone, Dad."

"Thank you, Liesl."

Paul was there; he had heard the conversation. "Sounds like you're ready to see America."

He heard a chorus of, "we are."

"Then let's get to the dining room for breakfast before we take you up on deck to watch the ship dock."

Paul led this excited bunch to the dining room. The Lewis family met them there. They found the breakfast buffet loaded with their favorites. They sat as they had before. The waiters poured their choice of beverages. And no one dawdled; they were ready to get up on deck.

Paul led them to the same deck where they had seen the sunrise. They weren't surprised at the few people who joined them. They remembered being told that most of the passengers were frequent travelers who were in the lounges conversing with their friends.

Paul introduced them to an older distinguished looking gentleman. "Everyone, please meet John Smith the ship's resident historian. He's going to tell you about the bay."

"Good morning everyone and Paul's correct, I can tell you all about the bay. It's believed to have been created millions of years ago by a large object tearing a crater in the land. Into that crater flowed the water from the Atlantic Ocean, which is salt water, and fresh water from several rivers; those waters created an estuary."

John paused, he saw their puzzled looks. He went on to explain. "The word estuary is given to this mixture of salt and fresh water; it forms an ecosystem which produces an abundance of crabs, oysters and clams. They are harvested for people's eating enjoyment.

"Along the shore you will see various types of aquatic vegetation, grasses of all shades of green and leaf shapes and tall ones which look like big feathers. In addition there are many trees. All of this is home to many species of birds like the Osprey, the Blue Heron and the Bald Eagle."

Friedrich spoke. "Thank you for all the details. None of us have ever seen anything like it."

"You're welcome. You have about an hour to enjoy it before the cruise ship docks."

The group did enjoy the scenery. They also watched with eager anticipation for the first view of the dock. One of the navy men was the first to spot it. Erwin reported. "The dock is coming into view everyone; focus your eyes at two o'clock."

"Uncle Erwin, explain please."

"Brigitta, everyone, pretend you are looking at a clock."

He didn't need to continue, he heard several say. "I see it."

Maria grabbed Georg's arm in excitement. "I still find it hard to believe where we are darling."

"I do too, sweetheart."

Now everyone felt the ship slow to a crawl as Captain Robert carefully maneuvered the large vessel close to the dock. They watched as the ship's deck hands threw ropes to the men on the dock. They were secured on huge pegs. And soon they heard Robert make this announcement over the ship's public address system.

"You may go ashore now, welcome to the United States."

Adam, Mark and Paul began to direct the Austrian group. "Remember, your bags are already at the VIP Bridge. Now follow us; Paul will bring up the rear."

Now there was mostly silence from the group; it was as if they were almost holding their breaths waiting in anticipation of setting foot on American soil. Georg and Maria had walked to the front of the line. He was the group's contact.

They had arrived at the bridge. "Georg, your contact is waiting to greet you. I wish you well."

"I thank each of you; none of us will ever forget our cruise."

"You're welcome." Georg shook each of their hands before he took Maria's hand.

Their hands were joined firmly as they stepped onto the bridge. At the end, John Foster Dulles was indeed waiting. The men's outstretched arms met for a firm handshake.

"I'm John."

"And I'm Georg."

"Welcome to America; this beautiful lady must be your wife, Maria. Allen sent me a wire when he first met you; he thought you two might marry on the ship."

Georg and Maria exchanged looks of surprise. John responded.

"Allen always had an uncanny ability to notice things. We could never play hide and seek; he always knew exactly where I would hide. Robert sent me a wire after your wedding.

"You don't need to report to the immigration office here. We're going to board a bus to take us down to Washington, DC. We'll have lunch at the Navy building before meeting with an immigration official."

"My youngest son will be grateful; he's always starving."

"He's just like Allen was as a boy."

"Yes, he told me." All three shared a good laugh.

Georg then motioned to the group to come across the bridge. They were very quiet; it was still registering where they were.

John addressed them. "I told Georg, we will board a bus to go to my nation's capital where we will have lunch."

Kurt smiled but spoke in a whisper to Friedrich. "Good, I'm starved."

"I'm hungry too."

The group eagerly followed John to where the bus was parked. Friedrich asked his dad this question.

"Have you ever ridden in a bus?"

"No Son, I haven't. This is all new to me too."

The driver made a comment. "My bus is the latest model; it has very comfortable seats and the ride is much smoother. In our old buses the passengers bounced quite a bit. Come aboard; you have about an hour's ride."

The group eagerly boarded and quickly found their seats. All the children had a window seat; Gretl was on Katia's lap. Marta was tall enough to see out the window. They watched as the driver maneuvered the bus through the parking lot to a paved road.

The driver announced. "In case anyone is wondering, we're heading south towards the state of Virginia. The capital of the United States occupies a small piece of land which has the name, District of Columbia which is abbreviated DC. All our federal buildings are located there.

"When it was formed it acquired a small town, Georgetown. You will hear that name frequently; it's no longer a separate town but a small neighborhood which uses the name. It's home to Georgetown University."

Georg spoke. "Thank you, sir. My children and all the adults have so much to learn about America."

"I'm sure you will learn right along with the children; all schools teach American history. And this area is rich in places to visit. And this fact will interest the navy men; we will also pass close to Annapolis, the home of the Naval Academy."

The group was quiet as they traveled. The road traveled rolling hills with very few twists and turns. The landscape was still brown from the winter's freezing temperatures.

It wasn't long before they heard the driver. "The border of the District of Columbia is only a few miles away. Even after we are within its borders the landscape will not change immediately. The founding fathers wanted as much green space left as possible.

"The layout of the streets was also designed. For visitors and newcomers it can be very confusing. The center of the city is our Capital building. The streets fan out like a wagon wheel from it. Some streets serve as dividers between the four quadrants. The streets were named after states, famous Americans and others use a letter of the alphabet."

"My route will soon change to Pennsylvania Avenue. It will take us by the Capital building. You won't need me to identify it."

Very soon, those looking out the front window saw a very distinguished stone building with tall columns under a detailed elongated triangle whose point made you look up at the large dome with a statute at its very top. Attached on either side of the main structure were two smaller similar buildings; each with the same tall columns on their fronts.

Maria was the first to comment. "These remind of structures built by the Greeks and Romans."

"We remember, mom. You showed us pictures."

The driver added. "The man who designed the building was influenced by those ancient buildings. It's called neoclassical. I'll drive around it; so everyone can have a good look."

After he did, he drove away and soon the bus came to a stop in front of a beautiful white house. The driver parked and turned off the engine.

"John thought you might like to walk to the navy building; it's only a couple of blocks away. This beautiful building is the White House; it is home to our President. At this time our president is Franklin Roosevelt. Leave your bags on board, I follow with the bus."

The groups emerged from the bus to find the temperature had moderated and the morning clouds had lifted. It was a beautiful day for walking. John led them along Pennsylvania Avenue to the intersection with 17th Street NW.

They made a left turn and shortly they stood in front of a massive granite stone building. The front had tiers of porticoes and pairs of colonnades and a dramatic slate-covered high box-like roof.

"Georg, you could get lost in there."

"Yes Maria I could; but I'm sure I will have a guide to get me from one place to another."

"I assure you he will, Maria; even I need a guide. The inside is breath-taking as well. Let's go have a look."

John led the group into the building. The room they entered was enormous; it had extremely high ceilings. Their shoes clicked against the white marble and black limestone floors. Their eyes were drawn to a large curved granite staircase. Above it was a sky-dome and a stained glass rotunda; the walls were lined with cast bronze decorated spindles.

"Mr. John, are all the government buildings this massive?" Brigitta asked.

"Many are, young lady; they were built to last for years. Everyone, follow me to the cafeteria."

"I hope that's where the food is." Kurt whispered to Friedrich. Still John heard him.

"Yes, young man it is; you must be Georg's son who's always hungry."

"That's me, sir. I'm Kurt. And this is my brother, Friedrich."

"It's nice to meet both of you. The cafeteria was built in the back of the first floor so the delivery trucks can easily unload their deliveries. Everyone followed John who led with Kurt and Friedrich by his side.

The double doors were open; the lights were on in this large dining room with a serving center at one end. John gave instructions.

"Please take a tray from the stack and follow me to the serving line. You will slide your tray on the metal shelf; stopping to select your food choices. Mabel, please tell my guests their choices today."

"I will John. For lunch today your entre choices are meatloaf, pork chops cooked with apples and fried fish. The side dishes are mashed potatoes, buttered carrots, casserole green beans and macaroni and cheese. You can choose from a variety of rolls. And please enjoy a dessert. Today's selections are chocolate and white cake and three kinds of pie, apple, egg custard and coconut cream."

"Mommy, she didn't say Weiner Schnitzel."

"No Gretl, she didn't. This is American food."

"How will I know if I will like it?"

"You must taste it first; I'm sure it will be good, sweetie."

"Madam, may I make a suggestion?"

"Please do, Mabel."

"Most children like the meatloaf. I could cut a slice in half for your girls. They could have either gravy on it or use ketchup which the server will bring to the table after you are seated."

"Mabel, maybe you need to tell everyone how meatloaf is made."

"Yes, of course John, it's made from ground-up beef, pork and veal along with finely chopped onions. To the mixture is added bread crumbs and eggs; it's mixed together and shaped like a loaf of bread and baked."

"Girls, I'm going to have the meatloaf too; I bet it's very tasty."

"Okay, Mommy, Gretl and I will try it."

Georg had been standing close by, listening. He had thoughts like those he had had before. How did I get so lucky? She's the mommy they all need.

Maria and the girls selected their side dishes; all decided to have the buttered carrots and a serving of the green bean casserole. The girls selected chocolate cake for dessert; Maria was having apple pie.

The older children and adults quickly made their selections. As the groups sat, the servers brought their choice of beverage and bottles of ketchup for those who requested it.

For many minutes the dining room was quiet; they were eating. Then statements like these were spoken; "better than I expected;" "mommy this was really good" and "now I know I won't starve in America."

John acknowledged them. "I'm pleased you have found American food to your liking. Georg, as soon as your group is ready; everyone needs to meet with the immigration officer."

Everyone heard John. Maria asked to be directed to the bathrooms. They made a line by the exit door after taking their turn. John took them back to the massive staircase; which they climbed to the second floor. Waiting for them in a small auditorium like room was a gentleman, who immediately greeted them.

"Welcome to the United States of America, I bring you greetings from President Roosevelt. Allen Dulles informed the immigration department of his plans to emigrate you from Austria many weeks ago. You like many others have valuable information to share; perhaps things you may not know which could be useful to my government.

"I've been told that all the children are under the age of twenty-one. Is that correct?"

"Yes sir that is true for my seven children as well as James Lewis's two. James and I, along with our fellow officers, Erwin Augsburg and Sidney Shriver are most grateful to your country for allowing us to enter."

"You're most welcomed. I will need your children's names and dates of birth. I have papers for all the officers and the adults in your group. We don't require you to carry them with you. But do secure them safely. As soon as you do, John will take you to your temporary residence."

Liesl helped her dad with her siblings' birthdays. The adults received their papers and John announced.

"The bus is waiting to take you to your residence; it's not far."

And it wasn't. Their temporary residence was across the street from the White House. The driver announced.

"We're here everyone. This is the Washington House."

"Georg, this is one of those homes with houses on each side of it. It looks small. I wonder if it has rooms for all of us."

"It must, Maria."

John had heard her. He responded. "Maria, the house on its right is actually joined on the inside. The outside door was left on purpose but is not used."

Then he spoke to the group. "We can enter; the employees will get your bags."

One of the attendants held the door for them. They entered a small vestibule decorated in a yellow-gold color. They were told.

"There are several sitting rooms on this floor. The kitchen and the family dining room are also here. The staircase ahead will take us to your bedrooms."

The group soon learned there were more than enough bedrooms. The employees waited with their bags. Everyone thanked them as they found their bag. One asked.

"Who is the guitar player?"

"My wife, Maria, I'll carry it for her."

"Very well, your bedroom is at the end of the hall."

Maria hung on Georg's arm as they walked together. The employee opened the door. "I hope you find it to your liking."

Before them was a large room in shades of pale yellow with an overlarge bed covered in a beautiful bedspread in shades of brown. It was complemented by a small sofa at its foot. It faced a fireplace.

"This is absolutely lovely. It's very much to our liking."

"I'm glad you like it Maria. You can hang your clothes in the large armoire."

Soon they heard the children. Georg had to quiet them to hear each one. Their rooms were equally beautiful.

"Dad, we're being treated like royalty."

"Yes Liesl, it seems that way."

John found them congregating in the hall. "There's a room on the first floor of the adjoining house which has been filled with comfortable chairs. Follow me there so I can talk to everyone."

They did as he asked. After everyone had taken a seat he spoke.

"Georg, you and the other officers have ten days to explore the city with your family. This gentleman with me is, Walter. He can take you all around the city, including the nearby museums. Now I need to take my leave. The President is waiting for my report on your arrival."

"Thank you John and Walter I'm sure the children will want to begin exploring they city today."

John departed and Walter spoke. "I'm ready whenever you are."

The children ran off to use the bathroom and were quickly standing in the entrance hall. Stefan and Phillip told Georg they would keep an eye on everyone from the back of the group.

Their walk took them close to a hotel. Walter talked about it. "This is the Mayflower Hotel. It's named after one of the first ships which brought Europeans to America. Many visitors stay there because of its close proximity to the White House."

Katia was walking with Carol. They were out of earshot of Georg and Maria. "Carol, I've been thinking of a way to let Georg and Maria have some time alone."

"I have too. This hotel is perfect. Maybe I can sneak away in the morning and inquire about making a reservation for them."

"Please do." Katia smiled. "I can already see Maria's blush when we tell them."

"Yes, I'm sure she will."

By this time the group had entered the space known as the National Mall. Walter talked about it.

"This space was in the original design of the city. As you can see there are several structures located here. One is the office for the Smithsonian Museums. We're going to tour the American History museum. You will have an opportunity to see what America looked like in the early days of its founding.

"It contains art, cultural, history, and science exhibits. It all started with historic relics like George's Washington's uniform and the Benjamin Franklin printing press. Over time all kinds of exhibits have been added, including stamps and coins and then other military memorabilia. Soon they added clothes, furniture and even an exhibit about the advances in medicine as well as objects of everyday life."

"So the children will get a lesson on American History."

"Yes, they will Georg. Many schools plan trips here solely for that purpose."

The group was intrigued by the exhibits. "There's so much to see, Georg. Teachers must really appreciate bringing their students here, seeing things help children to remember."

"Only my wife, the teacher, would have that comment."

"I suppose." Maria clutched her husband's arm.

They must have been in the museum two hours. During that time the temperature had dropped. Walter spoke.

"We may get some snow tonight. I don't expect any more than an inch or two. The crew will be out early to shovel it away. We have time to walk to the Lincoln Memorial. He was the President during our civil war; a sad time in our country."

Again Brigitta commented. "This is huge. Look at that sculpture of Lincoln sitting in a chair."

"And look at the writings on the walls."

"Maria, the longest one is from what has become known as the Gettysburg Address. School children memorize it at some point in their school years."

Walter read it for them. He began. "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

His voice was filled with emotion; his eyes grew misty as he concluded. "…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Now everyone was emotional; they now had a sense of the great determination of the people of this country.

"He must have been a President blessed by God. Only He could have inspired those words."

"Sadly, he didn't live to see that new birth. He was shot while watching a play. I actually believe my country started to heal when we entered the Great War. Now turn and look down the Mall to the other end. What do you see?"

"A very tall skinny structure."

"Good description young lady." He paused as Marta giggled. "It's the Washington Monument. It was built to honor the country's first president; he was also the General who led us to victory over the British during our Revolutionary War. We can take the elevator to the top."

"You must be kidding, Walter."

"I'm not, Maria. Believe me, the view is worth it."

The elevator made three trips; it waited for them to have a good look before returning for the others. Maria and Georg along with Marta and Gretl were among the last group. Maria clutched Georg's arm the entire way. The girls clung to her skirt.

Maria focused her eyes on the horizon; she had no intention of looking down. Then she held Gretl and Georg held Marta so they could see better.

"What a view, girls."

"It's nice, Daddy but can we go down now."

Maria squeezed Gretl as if to say, I agree with you. "I'm sure your brothers and sisters really enjoyed the view. They will probably talk about it for days."

Maria was correct. They jibber-jabbered about it all the way home.

After a lovely dinner and some quiet conversation, the group said their goodnights and departed for their respective room.

Maria and Georg took full advantage of the sofa and the fire which had been lit while they were gone. They kissed and stirred emotions like teenagers. Maria's head rested in the crook of Georg's neck as they caught their breaths.

"It's been a long day, sweetheart. We should get some sleep. We can snuggle in bed."

In minutes, Georg had taken his position, flat on his back; and Maria was as close as possible with her arm draped across his waist. Their breathing slowed as each fell asleep.

**A/N:** This is for my guest reviewer who's anxious for Maria and Georg to make love. I must tell you I laughed when I read it. You need to be patient. I'm sure, now you know my plan. And thank you for being a loyal reader.


	18. Time Alone

Time Alone

The new residents of the Washington House woke to find the city blanketed with two inches of fluffy clean white snow. One resident, Carol Lewis, was already dressed. Her husband, James had been awakened by her fliting around the room.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I am. I'm sure you realize Georg and Maria haven't had any time alone. Katia and I both feel they deserve that time. I'm going over to the hotel to make them a reservation for a couple of nights."

"That means you and Katia will become Gretl and Marta's mommies."

"I suppose. I'm sure we can find things to do to keep them busy. I need you to cover for me incase I'm late for breakfast."

"Will do, darling."

Carol got lucky; no one else was awake on the second floor. The only person she saw was the home's attendant.

"Good morning sir. Are there stores in the hotel?"

"Yes, the pharmacy opens early; it sells more than prescriptions. The walkway has already been shoveled."

"Good to hear; I won't slip on my way there."

He opened the door for her. Carol drew her coat tighter; it was probably still at the freezing point.

As she walked, the house woke up. Maria and Georg didn't hear the question, do you think they're awake this morning. They were already dressed and out in the hall when the children exited their rooms.

"I wonder what we will do today."

"I'm not sure, Louisa. But I'm sure we will do something interesting. Let's go see if breakfast is ready."

"Good idea, Dad, you know I have an empty stomach."

"We're all hungry, Kurt."

He acknowledged his mom with one of his endearing smiles and then proceeded to lead the group to the dining room. James had purposely joined the group after they had started towards the stairs.

An unknown fragrance greeted them before they entered the dining room. The home's attendant had alerted the cook that the group was awake. She came from the kitchen as the group entered the dining room.

Kurt was still the leader. "Mam, what smells so good?"

"You're smelling crispy fired bacon, young man. I thought you might like to begin with a serving of hot oatmeal. While you enjoy it, I'll cook up the scrambled eggs. And I'll bring out a basket of hot out of the oven biscuits. They can be enjoyed with jam, jelly or honey or you may prefer using only butter."

"Kurt, do you think that's enough to fill your bottom-less stomach?"

"Very funny, Brigitta."

Georg ended the chiding. "That's enough you two; let's take our seats."

Gretl pulled on Maria's skirt. "Mommy, that smell made me very hungry."

"Me too. Let's find our seats."

Everyone indulged in a small bowl of oatmeal; they sweetened it with either honey or brown sugar. All of them were as hungry as Kurt was. They were eating when Carol slipped in and took her place beside James. They exchanged unnoticed smiles.

As they finished their oatmeal, large trays of the bacon and scrambled eggs were placed on the table along with the basket of hot biscuits. When they had had their fill, the home's attendant spoke to the group.

"You have an appointment to visit the White House at ten o'clock."

"Dad, does everyone get to visit the White House?"

"I don't know, Liesl."

"I'll answer her, sir. Yes, we do have tours for the public but on your tour, you will be allowed to see much more. When you're ready, meet me by the front door." He smiled as he heard Maria.

"I still can't believe how we are being treated, Georg."

"I never expected it either. We better get ready. Children, don't forget your sweaters."

The group quickly assembled by the front door. Georg did a head count.

"We're all here sir; Maria and I are seventeen and eighteen."

"You don't need an escort; the White House is directly across the street."

The group was eager to leave; Georg quickly announced. "Erwin, you can be the leader. Maria and I will bring up the rear with the girls."

As they stepped out the door, they were greeted with bright sunshine. The snow was already beginning to melt. Erwin led this group of eighteen across the street. A tour guide was waiting.

"Good morning, welcome to the White House. Which one of you gentlemen is Georg Trapp?"

Georg raised his hand. "Did I get your last name correct?"

"Yes you did. I no longer consider myself a Baron which the prefix _von_ implies. It belonged to an empire which no longer exists."

Maria had hold of his hand as he spoke. She knew very well that the demise of the empire still made him sad. He had had many men of different nationalities under his command. But after the Great War, these nationalities were each given their own country. Now there were borders and guarded entries. The situation had made life miserable for everyone.

She also knew her husband was strong. He and his fellow officers would now help free the world from the evil goals of the man, Adolph Hitler. Maria put her thoughts away. The man was speaking.

"Georg, I'm Andrew. I will be your tour guide. The home is also known as the _Peoples' House_, a home for all Americans. So I begin.

"Welcome to the _Peoples' House._ The entry is like many homes; the first room is the vestibule."

Louisa whispered to Liesl after they had entered. "This is so different from the castle; it's beautiful but not ornate. It doesn't have any pictures painted on the ceiling and only a few paintings hang on the walls."

"I noticed too. And I don't think the floor is stone either. It has an interesting design; a dark center rectangle bordered with diamond shapes touching point to point. And now I see a transition to dark grey and black diamonds."

Andrew continued. "A long hall connects us to the main house; it's bright due to its many long windows on the east side. It will connect to the central hall of the west wing. You will notice it is carpeted. We will weave in and out of several rooms. All of them have a fireplace. The first is a sitting room which contains a collection of fine silver tableware. The next is the china room and finally the library."

Andrew allowed them time to have a good look at each of the rooms. He then led them to an extra-long curved staircase.

"Your tour will continue on the State Level. The first room is the East Room. You will notice a grand piano there. It is often used for small musical performances. The next rooms, the green, the blue and the red contain many portraits and other artefacts. They are usually used for small gatherings."

He gave them time to admire them before continuing to the State Dining Room. After they had commented on it, he had one more surprise for them. He took them to the President's residence. He knew neither he nor the First Lady were home. They only had a good look at the family's sitting room.

Andrew then led them out using another long hall and exit. He stayed with them until they were back to the front of the house and they saw the Washington House. Carol had lagged behind to join Maria and Georg. She knew this was her opportunity to tell them her surprise. Now she had to find the right words to begin a conversation.

"The While House certainly is beautiful; the designers made it functional as well as livable. It's so nice that common people have the privilege to see it."

"We agree with you, Carol. It's nice that the family has a private place to live. I wonder what it's like for children to live there."

"Depending on their ages, I'm sure they enjoy the experience. There are more than enough bedrooms for them. And I'm sure the master bedroom is quite comfortable, gives the parents a chance to be alone. I wonder how many babies have been born there."

Maria smiled. "Yes, private time is important to any couple."

Carol took advantage of Maria's statement. "Yes Maria it is and you haven't really had that time."

"Carol, what have you done? I see your mischievous smile."

"You know me well, Georg. After talking with Katia, we decided to make you a reservation at the hotel for two nights. You can check in any time after noon today. Now I don't want to hear any objections. James reminded me. Katia and I will fill in as substitute mommies for the girls. I don't want you to worry about them. They will be fine."

"So, you will be responsible for telling them?"

"Yes, Georg, I'm sure your older daughters will help us. Now, we better catch up to the group. I'm sure Kurt is ready for lunch."

"Carol, you go on, Maria and I will be there in a moment."

Georg had firm hold of her hand. "Now, don't be apprehensive, darling. We still won't rush to fulfill the words, _the two shall become one._"

"I think we are both ready; we've been so close to that moment. Georg, our love is very strong."

"Yes, darling, it is."

The couple was out of view of the family; they kissed and then hurried to the house. They found everyone already in the dining room. They were still talking about the White House. They noticed the girls were sitting between Carol and Katia. They found seats opposite them.

The staff quickly served prepared plates of a hot turkey sandwich covered in gravy; each plate had a small serving of sliced carrots and green beans. Everyone had their choice of beverage. Chocolate chip cookies were served for dessert and their beverages were re-filled.

As they finished, the conversation began. Liesl asked. "Can we do some shopping today? Louisa and I need some things."

Maria answered her. "I'm sure they're some stores near-by."

The home's attendant, whose name they now knew was Carl spoke up. "There are a variety of stores within walking distance. I'm sure you will find everything you need in them."

"Good, come on everyone; let's get ready to go."

They scampered away. Carol then spoke to Maria and Georg. "You go up too. I have something for you Maria. Then you need to pack and wait until we leave before you go to the hotel."

"What did you buy for me?"

"I think you know. Give me a minute to get it."

She returned in a jiffy and handed Maria a store bag. "Put this in your bag and stay here until we leave. I'll tell the girls after they notice you are not with us."

Maria's face did hold a pink blush. Georg tried to reassure her with a comforting hug and a kiss on her temple. As Carol walked away, the couple finished packing and Maria added the bag Carol had given her last. Georg picked up both travel bags and they left the room.

They listened as they came down the stairs. They heard Liesl. "Aunt Carol is right. Mommy and Daddy need some time alone. All newly married couples do it. It's called a honeymoon. Gretl come take my hand. Louisa will hold yours, Marta."

The door had shut behind them. They would have been surprised if they had heard Marta. "Okay Liesl, I suppose one day I will marry and will want to be alone with my husband."

Liesl didn't respond as they walked away. She held in her smile and laugh.

Carl was at the front door when the couple appeared. "Do you want me to carry your bags?"

"I can manage, Carl. Thank you for asking."

Now he smiled as they walked away. He held a thought. Their age difference doesn't affect them. They really are perfect together.

The couple walked the short distance to the hotel. A doorman opened the door and directed them to the reservation counter.

The clerk asked. "May I have your last name?"

"Trapp, Mr. and Mrs. Trapp."

"I see you have an all-inclusive reservation. The porter will take your bags while you sign the register."

He signed, _Georg and Maria Trapp._ The clerk then addressed the porter. "They have H-3 on the top floor. And sir, here's your key; follow the porter."

He led them to a bay of four elevators. The porter pressed the number ten button. Georg was curious. "How many rooms are in this hotel?"

"Over 600, sir, you and your wife have one of the honeymoon suites and room service is included in your reservation."

As he finished speaking, the elevators doors opened. "Follow me down the hall to a corner room." He sat one bag down. "Let me have the key and I will unlock the door for you."

"This is our luxury suite; the sitting room and the bedroom are separate. I'll light the fireplace for you. The room is rather chilly because it's on a corner. I think it's the wind which cools it. On the table in the corner is a bottle of Champagne; I will open it before I leave. If you need anything, please call the front desk; dial one. For the kitchen you will dial two."

He preceded to lite the fire and open the bottle of Champagne before telling them good bye and leaving. The couple was now all alone. Georg noticed Maria.

She sighed a heavy breath as she stood almost expressionless. "Is something bothering you, darling."

"No sweetheart, I suppose I'm still in awe. Everything has happened so fast. It hasn't even been a week since we left Austria."

"Yes, I know. And I'm sure your emotions have been heightened since we married."

Maria smiled. "Those emotions have all been good ones. I love being married."

"We should toast to our love. Let me pour us a glass of Champagne. It's good we have food in our stomachs; Champagne on an empty stomach allows the alcohol to hit the brain quickly. For us the effect will be a mellow feeling."

"My husband is so good to me. I'll be careful, Georg."

Georg carefully poured the Champagne into the small fluted shaped glasses. He handed one to Maria.

"I speak from the bottom of my heart. I am the luckiest man alive. I found and married that very special woman who loves me and my seven children. I love you Maria."

"I'm lucky too. I always admired the love between my aunt and uncle. But I must admit, I never dreamed I would experience the same. I was wrong. God had His own plan. I do love you, with all my heart. It's a different love than I have for the children. It comes from the core of my being. I love you, Georg."

"Let's entwine arms as we indulge. You need to drink it slowly."

The couple took their time. "Maria before we sit; we should get comfortable. I'm sure you know where our kissing may lead."

"I do Georg. I noticed our bags were taken to separate rooms."

"Yes, a typical feature in a honeymoon suite. They're not pink and blue. My bag was taken to the green room and your's is in the yellow one."

"Yes, a color we saw used often in the White House. The light shade used in the sitting room of the private quarters of the President was especially attractive. I won't take long."

"Neither will I, sweetheart."

Maria knew what Carol had bought her. She had no idea what it would look like. Maria carefully opened the bag. The first piece of her negligee set was the white satin robe. She admired it before laying it on the nearby chair.

Slowly she raised what she knew to be the gown. Before she inspected it closely, she drew it to her and twirled around, whispering. "I'm ready to fulfill the scripture."

Then she had a good look at it. The gown had slightly wider than spaghetti straps. The front of the bodice was made from loosely woven satin ribbons. She once again held it close to her. This time it was for her hands to be placed on her heart. She was trying to slow it.

Finally, Maria took a deep breath; she removed all her clothes. She rolled the gown in her hands and slipped it over her head and let it fall to the ground. She admired herself in the mirror.

"I'm sure Georg will like it."

In a moment, she put on the gown and the pair of satin slippers which were also in the bag. She took a deep breath and left the dressing room.

Georg had changed as well. He didn't have anything new. He had brought with him a regular set of pale blue pajamas. Over them he was wearing a navy blue robe; he too was wearing slippers. He was waiting for his bride.

One would have thought they had been separated for hours; they quickly embraced and kissed. Georg didn't comment on Maria's negligee gown. He knew she was a little nervous; he didn't want to increase it.

But Maria did have a comment. "You look mighty dashing, my husband."

"I'm still little old me your husband. Let's have a seat on the sofa."

Maria wasn't shy. She tucked her legs under her and leaned into him. His arm immediately went around her shoulder, a position which they had held before. Georg could easily reach her face with his other hand and hers did the same.

Georg initiated the first kiss. It led to many, many more. Maria hadn't realized he had pulled the ribbon on the gown loose from its bow until she felt his hand on her bare shoulder. She wasn't the least bit alarmed. She surprised him by him by dropping her arms and letting the robe slide completely off her arms.

It was Georg who needed to control his feelings. He had noticed the ribbon lattice on her gown's bodice. It was very revealing.

He whispered. "Maria darling, it's time to lie down. Let me carry you there."

Maria clung to his neck as he lifted her into his arms. The turned down bed was only a few steps away.

Within minutes of lying down, the couple had come to that magic moment that only humans experience as they consummated their marriage. The couple lay together totally immersed in emotion; their hearts pounded in sync.

Neither had words right then; they rested together. Once they had come down from the exuberating experience; they kissed and commented.

"Maria, you were wonderful."

"Georg, it's all because of you. I now know why it's almost impossible to describe."

"This may be hard for you to believe. It gets better and better. I better pull up the covers. Neither of us should get chilled. They snuggled under them.

In a little while Georg had a suggestion for his wife. "Maria, you should soak in a tub of warm water. I'll get up and draw it for you. Then I'll shower in the other bathroom."

"Again I must say; you're so good to me."

"It's all part of being married, darling."

Maria smiled as she watched him find his robe on the floor and scurry off to the bathroom with the tub. It took a few minutes for hot water to reach this room on the tenth floor. Georg added enough cold water to make just the right temperature for his wife.

"It's ready, darling. Remember it will probably cool quickly; come enjoy while it's the right temperature."

"I'm coming." She didn't bother to find her gown; instead she almost ran to the bathroom. She carefully stepped into the bathtub and let her body sink into the water up to her shoulders. A rolled up towel was her pillow.

Georg didn't see her; he was already in the shower. He finished first and decided to call the kitchen for an early dinner. Maria didn't linger too long; the water had cooled rapidly. She wrapped herself in a towel and made a bee-line for her dressing room.

She didn't have any dresses which Georg had never seen. She also knew Georg wouldn't care what she wore. Maria selected a dress she knew would be very comfortable.

They were both surprised, when after only a few minutes, they heard a knock on their door. Georg greeted the attendant. "Sir, you certainly have excellent service."

"The owners of the hotel pride themselves on promptness. The chef did ask that I explain the meat selection. A major meat company began to make several varieties of canned meat products a few years ago. This one is the most popular; it was given the name SPAM. It's made from chopped pork and ham. It's served many different ways; one way is baked as a whole. Let me show you."

He lifted the cover over one of the platters. Maria had an immediate comment. "It smells good."

"You're smelling a combination of cooked ham and the cloves which were added before baking. Do you see those small nail-shaped black stubs?"

Maria continued. "Yes, there are many of them."

"Correct, cloves are a dried unopened flower bud from a tropical evergreen tree. You don't eat them. They're easy to remove; their stems are less than an inch long. Let me replace the cover to keep it warm. Call the kitchen if you want anything else."

"I'm sure what's on this large cart will be more than satisfactory."

"Very well, when you're finished you may roll it into the hall." The attendant didn't linger; he left immediately. He closed the door behind him.

Georg brought the cart closer to the small table by the front windows. It was near enough to the fireplace to keep the couple warm while eating.

"Let's have a look at what else is on the cart."

They found a plate of what they discovered were fried strips of potatoes, and a serving bowl filled with green beans with the crunchy topping they had had before. And finally in a bowl, which sat in ice, was shredded cabbage and carrot mixed in a mayonnaise sauce.

They fixed a plate filled with all the foods. They sat so they could both look out the window. Both tentatively took a bite of the meat.

"This is really good, Georg."

"It is; I wasn't sure how it would taste."

"I wonder if the children would like it."

"I know one who would. Kurt's never found a food he didn't like."

"You know, Georg, it's a good thing he's such a good sport about being teased about his eating. He has a wonderful temperament."

"My wife, the children's mother always has wonderful things to say. You deserve a kiss."

"I'm waiting." Georg easily leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

The couple completed their meal with a large piece of chocolate cake with coffee.

"I'm full, Georg; you need to excuse me for a moment. I won't be long."

Georg watched Maria enter her bathroom. He pushed the cart into the hall. When he turned around a large wooden piece of furniture caught his eye. Upon inspection, he discovered it was radio. He turned it on and immediately he heard orchestra music.

Maria joined him. "They're playing songs similar to those at our reception. We can dance to them."

"I'd love to dance with my wife."

They danced for a long time before collapsing on the sofa. There they began to kiss. Georg got his breath. "Maria, this could lead to so much more."

"I know."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

"Then we better head for our bed."

No words were needed then or after they lay down. After several minutes the couple once again rested as their in sync heart beats slowed down. Georg pulled up the covers. They slept.


End file.
